Reduce Food Waste

How Do i get started?

Reducing your food waste is something you can start with a few small changes.

The main principles are:

Make the most of what you already have,
Store your food in ideal conditions,
Make it easy for everyone in your home, and
Buy only what you're going to use.

How do I make it work?

Check out these 3 differet categories. Start with a whole category, or pick a tip and make it a habit then pick another.

	Plan your meals and prep what you can in bulk to save time. Serve smaller portions, you can always go for seconds and you’ll have less plate scrapings. Check the tips for kids in resources below for more ideas. Learn more about ‘best before dates’ here. Before you go to the store shop in your pantry or fridge first, you might already have what you need. Make a list to take to the store so you buy only what you need.
	Post a list of perishable food items on your fridge. Use them up before buying more food. Use ‘everything but the kitchen sink’ recipes to use up what’s left in your fridge. Give wilted vegetables new life in quiches, soups and stir fries. Use the ‘first in, first out’ principle. After you buy new groceries, move older food items to the front of the fridge so you can use them up first. (Label leftover containers with “eat me first” or dates to help your family). Getting close to the end of your fruit or vegetables lifetime? Try drying it out! Or canning it up! That way you have more time to use it up. Make the most of your food scraps before they go to your scrap bin! Vegetable peels and stems make great stock bases.
	Organize your fridge to make food last longer. This fridge food organizing guide can help you keep your food fresh for longer and help use your crisper drawers to their full potential. Other tips on keeping it fresh can be found here. Freeze food – ex. those berries you won’t get to use could be frozen then added to a smoothie. Learn tips for how best to freeze different types of food.

Find new ways to use your favourite fruits and vegetables or the best way to store them with these links.
5 - Ways - creative solutions for getting the most out of common foods.
Food Storage A to Z - a list of foods and the best way to store them.

I'VE DONE IT ALL, WHAT'S NEXT?

As you work through making food waste reduction a part of your household, you might have food waste that you can't make use of. For all your food peels, plate scrapings, chicken bones and other items, keep it out of the landfill by composting at home or using your curbside bin.

Want to try home composting? Click here.

Need to know more about your curbside collection of food waste? Find info on your Green Bin here.

Don't live in the SCRD? Check your municipality's website more info.

DID YOU KNOW?

Wasted food also means wasted resources (water, land fuel). The greatest way to lessen our impact on the environment is to reduce how much food we waste.

63% of the food households throw away is avoidable (see image for most common by weight).

It’s easy to think that food waste is someone else’s problem, but by weight, 21% of food waste in Canada comes from our homes. This means households are wasting approximately 140 kg or $1,100 worth of food each year. The other 53% of food waste occurs along the food value chain, where food is produced, processed, transported or sold.

Wondering if there's more?

Keep your community in mind and donate or share food. Check with local charities before donating to ensure they can make the most of what you have.

Donate food items to the Sunshine Coast Food Bank or the Salvation Army on the Sunshine Coast.
Share extra food with friends, neighbours, co-workers and community members in need.
Connect with a local farmer – do they want food scraps to feed their animals?

Resources

Tips for Parents
Waste Less with Kids

Storage Tips and Best Practices
A to Z Food Storage Guide
Fridge Guide
Freezer Tips
5 Ways With
Best Before Dates and Shelf Life Guide
Dehydrate to save produce and make a great snack

Still want more info?

SCRD Organic Waste Diversion Strategy
Canadian National Food Waste Reduction Strategy
Love Food Hate Waste
Just Eat It Film