September 29 is the world day to reduce food waste, and on this occasion it would be worthwhile to think about this topic in every home. The average Estonian family throws away up to 149 kilos of food per year, an average of 61 kilos per person! In monetary terms, an average of 330 euros goes into the trash can, as much as 504 euros a year in families with children. The sad thing is that compared to 10 years ago, we throw away a third more food at home. This is amazing, because we all feel the rise in prices in recent years in our wallets, and many can no longer afford their usual meals.
Unfortunately, most of the food is wasted at home. Over 40 percent of food could actually be avoided. We could reduce waste a lot if we changed our daily habits just a little.
Why is food waste a problem?
In addition to costing money, food waste is a serious environmental problem. Reducing food loss is one of the most effective ways to mitigate climate change. Food production, transportation and processing consume water and other resources. Food waste causes 8-10 percent of the world’s greenhouse gases, for example, methane is released from wasted food in landfills. If every family reduced the amount of wasted food, it would help save both money and nature.
What can everyone do?
Stores, restaurants and factories are always looking for ways to reduce food waste. For example, every year Rimi donates more and more soon-to-expire food to the Food Bank. Today, we are able to give more than half of the food that would otherwise go to waste to those in need. We sell quite a lot of products that tend to expire at a discounted price. Fortunately, people are no longer ashamed to buy decent but soon-to-expire food, although there is still room for improvement.
In Hiiumaa and Läänemaa, the sell-out of soon-to-expire products is one of the largest in Estonia, about 80 percent of them are bought. However, the best food donors in Estonia are Saaremaa Rims, who send as much as three quarters of food that tends to expire to those in need.
There are also simple and effective ways for every family to reduce food waste. The only way to save money is not to buy cheaper products. Similarly, you can reduce costs by reducing the amount of wasted food.
- Plan your meals in advance
This helps to avoid impulse purchases and to ensure that the food bought is actually eaten. Before going to the store, check the contents of the refrigerator and cupboards to avoid buying double the stuff you already have. Make a shopping list and stick to it. Just as every retail chain plans the availability of goods very carefully, everyone could also plan their meals at home. Planning as precisely as possible has the greatest impact on reducing food loss.
- Store food properly and use older stuff first
Storing food properly will help it last longer. For example, vegetables and fruits should be stored in the right conditions so that they stay fresh longer. For each of them, there may be separate pitfalls, which are worth researching, for example, on the Internet. Put the newly bought foods in the back row of the refrigerator and the older ones in the front row to consume them first. In the case of open packages, see if they can be resealed so that air cannot reach the food. If this is not possible, the food should be packed in a glass or plastic box, where it will certainly last longer.
- Use food scraps creatively
Prepared food and other leftovers do not have to go in the trash. They can be turned into a new dish – for example, in soups, casseroles or smoothies. You can find a lot of inspiration for this on the internet. Shops also try to do this, for example, you can buy smoothie fruits from many Rims, which are a little too tired to eat as they are, but still fit well in a healthy drink.
- “Best before” is not the same as “Expired by”
“Best before” doesn’t mean the food is unfit after that – it’s an indicator of quality, not a guarantee of safety. “Best by” means that after this date it is not reasonable to use the food. Learning to distinguish between them can prevent a lot of food waste. We often offer discounted foods with a “Best Before” date approaching soon. You can safely buy these things, this way you save both money and nature, helping the store to avoid food waste.
- Order and prepare smaller quantities of food
It often happens that we prepare more food than we can eat. 5 percent of every soup pot and 4 percent of home-made vegetables and porridge end up in the trash. Try to prepare less food or spread the amount of prepared food over several meals. The same applies when eating out – if the portion turns out to be too big, take the leftovers home with you. You can eat it at your next meal or add it to something new. Also, don’t put too big a pile on the plate at once, some of which will end up in the trash later. If you want more, you can always increase.
Food waste is a serious problem that affects both our wallets and nature. Anyone can reduce it a lot by making small changes in their daily habits. Planning your meals, storing food properly, being creative with leftovers, and understanding expiration dates are actually pretty easy things to do.
2024-09-29 08:15:26
#throw #food #trash
