July Waste Reduction Tips

Oh YES, it’s here … summer!  It’s a time that brings us backyard barbecues, fun adventures, water sports, and so much more. This month lets focus on reducing food waste & making your food last longer between grocery trips so you can spend more time outdoors!

Fewer trips to the grocery store doesn’t mean we can’t still enjoy fresh, healthy food.. Here are some simple tips from Seattle Public Utilities Curb Waste E-Newsletter to help food last longer:

Refrigerator Storage Tips

Where and how you store food can make a big difference in how long it lasts.

Did you know you should store fruits and vegetables away from each other since fruits make vegetables go bad faster?

Try storing milk and eggs in the back of the fridge where it’s coldest, instead of in the door where it’s warmest.

Organize your fridge so new groceries are behind the old and food that goes bad quickly is in clear view.

Store cooked foods in clear containers so you can see what needs to be eaten.

Create an “Eat First” area for food that needs to be eaten soon.

Use this Food Storage Guide to decide where and how to store your fresh food:

Use Your Freezer

Frozen fruits and vegetables are just as nutritious as fresh produce.

Stock up at the store or freeze your own fresh produce.

The freezer can also help your bread, herbs, meat, fish, and cooked foods last longer.

The sooner you get food in the freezer, the fresher and more nutritious it will be when you eat it later.

Label your frozen foods with the date and contents.

Download SPU’s Freezer Storage Guide for tips and step-by-step instructions.

Understand Date Labels

Here’s something that might surprise you: with the exception of infant formula, the date labels on food products — ”sell-by,” “best-by,” “use-by” — don’t indicate the safety of food. In fact, they’re just suggestions by the manufacturer for when they believe the food is at its freshest and tastiest, not when it is unsafe to eat.

Get to know your food date terms and you’ll avoid throwing away perfectly good, edible food. Learning how to make food last longer will reduce trips to the grocery store, and save you money!

Learn more tips at Love Food Stop Waste.