Compost It
Adding food waste to a backyard compost pile diverts organic waste from ending up in a landfill. Items that cannot be composted include: dairy products, meat, or fats and oils. Find out more about backyard composting.
Never Pour Hot Oil Down Drain
Don’t pour hot oil or fat down the drain or straight into the garbage. Learn how to dispose of cooking oil or grease.
Ways to Reduce
Avoid Food Waste
Be strategic about how you store and eat your produce. Vegetarian Times provides a great explanation of why some veggies and fruit go bad before others, and offers a handy chart to help you plan your week.
Create a Detailed Meal Plan
One way to reduce food waste is to create a detailed meal plan for the week and build a shopping list around that meal plan. This better ensures everything will get consumed. Check out this meal planner from SaveTheFood.com.
How You Store It
The shelves, drawers and doors of your refrigerator are designed to hold different types of foods. When food is stored as intended, it will last longer and save you an extra trip to the store. Learn more about proper fridge organization.
Ways to Reuse
Donate to a Food Bank
Consider donating unused food to families in need. Food banks generally accept these items: non-perishable proteins, kids’ snacks, traditional holiday food, condiments and spices, personal hygiene products, as well as baby food, formula and diapers.
