Have you ever thought about how much food ends up being wasted? Expired yogurt cups, slimy salads, moldy leftovers – it all adds up. Some experts estimate that more than 40% of the food produced in the U.S. is wasted.
So what can you do to waste less food and packaging? Consider these tips:
- Use Plastic Bags & Storage Containers
When you have leftover food after a meal, plastic storage containers, wraps and zipper bags help seal out air so food last longer in the fridge and prevent freezer burn in the freezer. Many of these bags can be washed out and reused.
- Buy Wrapped Food
Buying foods in a little bit of packaging can prevent a lot of food waste. For example, cucumbers wrapped in thin plastic film can last two weeks or more, while an unwrapped cucumber lasts about three days. Poultry, fish and produce that are wrapped increase their shelf life and help waste less food with minimal packaging.
- Recycle!
A great way to reduce packaging waste is to recycle everything you can. Plastic beverage bottles, milk and juice jugs and condiment containers just to name a few, can be recycled in most curbside recycling programs.
- Close The Recycling Loop!
Using cutting boards, bowls, storage containers and more made with recycled plastics not only help reduce the food waste in your kitchen but also can be recycled again at the end of their useful life.