« Don’t throw away, reuse! »: this slogan doesn’t only concern the containers, cutlery and bottles we use, but also the leftovers of meals we have prepared or ordered!
On average, 74kg of food are thrown away per year, by one person, which represents 11% of the world’s food production. On a global scale, this is equivalent to 931 million tons of food ending up in the trash can.
This discarded food accounts for about 10% of the greenhouse gas emissions, which, on a country scale, would place it as the 3rd largest emitter of greenhouse gases.
With 25% of the food that is thrown away every day, we could feed the more than 700 million people in need around the world.
Those figures are alarming, but there are actions we can all adopt on a daily basis to minimize, at our level, food waste. For the International Stop Food Waste Day, let’s go through a few tips together!
#1 – Let’s use up the leftovers!
Did you know that a cooked meal can be consumed for up to 3 or 5 days on average after being prepared and placed in the refrigerator? So, when there’s some beef bourguignon, stir-fried vegetables or soup left over, put everything in your lunch box and that’s one less meal to prepare for the next day!
We have all made a delicious cake with egg yolks and ended up with unused whites. But let’s not throw away this valuable source of minerals and vitamins B! Instead, egg whites can be used to bake a few meringues, prepare a light chocolate mousse, or cook a quick omelet. They can also be frozen in an ice cube tray to be used some other time. And for the DIY enthusiasts, egg whites can also used to prepare a face or hair mask, or a brittle nails treatment!
The same applies to a piece of meat bought in too large quantity to cook some butter chicken, or shrimps to prepare a paella. The instinctive thing to do is: freeze it in your lunch box for next time or reuse it for a barbecue, why not!
#2 – In restaurants just like at home!
Some countries haven’t been able to enjoy this little treat for quite some time now, but soon, our restaurants will all reopen, and we’ll be able to treat ourselves with their delicious menus! Menus that are often well-stocked: starters, main course, and side dish, and since we can’t resist a sweet note, the meal always ends with a tasty dessert.
On average, about 14% of the food purchased by a restaurant ends up in the trash. So, the best way to fight this food waste and above all, to make the pleasure last, is to take your bento box with you! When you’re full, just put the leftovers of your ordered meal in your lunch box and here is a flavorful meal to finish the next day!
#3 – Let’s cherish fruit and vegetables!
Before being offered for sale, many fruit and vegetables are scrutinized and subjected to certain strict standards: specific weight or size, smooth appearance, bright colors… but the taste of a dented tomato, an asymmetrical pear or a small carrot remains the same, regardless the way it looks! So, let’s all say yes to those “ugly” fruit and vegetables! There are more and more small shops or local producers who promote these fruit and vegetables that do not fit the standards, probably close to where you live.
As we all know, fruit and vegetables are sometimes difficult to keep fresh. Ask your favorite stallholder or producer, they will certainly have some advice to give you to pamper your fresh products! And if you discover (despite all your efforts) in the bottom of your fridge a softened zucchini, a forgotten pumpkin or some slightly browned strawberries, be inventive: vegetable spaghetti, an improvised gratin or a sweet soup for dessert will give a second life to your products!
There are many actions we can do every day, without changing our habits. Food remains perishable, but with good management (why not building with your family a calendar of expiration dates after coming back from the supermarket?), good reflexes and a little inventiveness, we can all together reduce our food waste!