Every day, so much food is thrown away, which wastes water and energy. Food waste is a global issue that needs to be addressed. Hence, strategies to effectively reduce food waste are needed.
Waste must be managed by effectively reducing production so that loss can be curtailed and kept under control.
So, what are the fast and straightforward ways to address this global issue? Let’s look at a few of them together in this piece:
1. Meal planning
Before a new week or month begins, you can always plan ahead by purchasing what is specifically needed for that period. This way, you avoid buying other foods that could be left to spoil in your refrigerator or storage.
In addition to this advantage of meal planning, it is cost-effective because you’re not just buying food on a whim, but there’s a schedule you’re following.
2. Solid food storage
Solid food storage entails knowing how to store food to extend its shelf life. To ensure this, you need to understand the food items and the kind of storage method they need.
For example, store yams in a cool and dry place, keep tomatoes in your freezer, etc. Knowing this will help reduce food waste and minimize spoilage.
3. Reusing leftovers
What do you do with leftover meals? Throw them away? Or leave them to spoil? An effective way to reduce food waste is to avoid throwing away leftovers. Instead, you can create new meals with them or heat them and eat them. Repurposing leftovers gives you room to get creative.
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4. Recycling
You can also reduce waste by improvising with food items. Improvising in this context would mean composting. Items like vegetable stems, eggshells, yam peels and the like can be converted to compost manure if you have a garden.
You can also make cleaning agents from these food items that cannot be eaten but can be used for a different purpose.
5. Avoid excess purchase
When ordering food, ensure you buy what you can consume and manage; don’t buy excess if there’s no valid reason to. Also, perishable goods like onions, vegetables, and other vegetables should not be purchased excessively if you truly want to contribute to tackling this global issue of food waste.
It is possible to reduce food waste more than most people imagine. Following these steps will guide you in the right direction.
