Organics

Decreasing household food waste will save you money, reduce your carbon footprint and make compliance with the State’s organic recycling requirements easier.

Purchase Food Deliberately

Before shopping, make a meal list. To better understand the food you will need, keep track of what you cook in a week by creating an inventory of what gets used immediately versus what sits on the shelf.

A well-organized fridge and pantry will help you avoid purchasing the same item twice.

Understand Expiration Dates

“Best before” and “use-by” dates are not the same. Food can be safe to eat after the “best before” date, whereas the “use-by” date indicates that something is no longer safe to consume.

Get the Most Out of Produce

Storing your fresh produce properly will vastly improve its shelf life. Refrigerators that are set to below 40°F will slow bacteria growth. Place fish and meat in the fridge’s coldest spot, preferably in their own drawer at 29° F. Also, store food quickly after purchasing and prioritize using older, perishable items first.

When using the crisper drawer: if it rots, store on a low-humidity level (bananas, apples, avocados, etc.), and if it wilts, store on high-humidity (greens, peppers, cucumbers, citrus, etc.). To keep herbs crisp, trim stems diagonally and place them in ¼ cup of water. Store onions, potatoes and tomatoes in a cool, dark area.

Repurpose Your Food

Repurposing food waste can be a creative process. Try blending wilted greens into a homemade dressing or cook them into a soup, broth or curry. During meal prep, set aside vegetable scraps and store in a freezer bag. Once you have enough scraps, boil them to make homemade vegetable broth. After straining, freeze them into ice cubs for easy storage.

With any organic food waste-except for animal meat and bones-be sure to compost. Layer organic food scraps in your green bin and remove waste from your kitchen frequently to avoid build up.

Donate Food

If you have extra shelf-stable food, consider donating it to edible food programs.