Eliminate our food waste! Let's complete the entire month without having any food spoil before we have the chance to eat it (or keep track of all the food that we throw away).
1.There always seems to be something that goes bad. What are some tips to prevent this?
As my college roommates would tell you, if anyone needs tips on this subject it is certainly myself. Luckily, I recently found an article (Body & Soul, Feb 2010) on this very subject - here are their tips:
- Buy what you need - but not more. This is pretty self-explanatory but can be tricky. For example, last month I made a vegetarian lasagna but realized after cooking the noodles that I had more noodles than the recipe called for. I stowed the extra pasta away in the fridge and three weeks later...well, you can imagine. Thus when trying new recipes, it is especially helpful to make sure you are only buying what you need! Or, that you have a back-up plan for the surplus.
- Plan meals ahead of time! If you make a meal plan and create a grocery list based on the plan, ideally you shouldn't run into the problem of purchasing more than you can eat.
- Reorganize your fridge and store leftovers in clear containers so they are not pushed into the abyss. Keep them in the front!
- Set your fridge at 39 degrees - apparently many people have their fridge set too warm which encourages food spoilage.
- Freeze leftovers when there is too much to eat.
- Buy local foods! This may sound silly since I am writing this in January and in Michigan, but locally purchased food has a longer lifespan. Most produce in the supermarket has been shipped from at least across the country. While we may not have local strawberries at this time of year, there are apples, potatoes, and squashes that are still available (at least in Michigan)...and they are delicious!
We are all human. If a food item sneaks into the molding stage, please do not eat it! Instead, track it!
3. How does this help the planet?
As I hinted earlier, a large amount of food purchased and/or prepared by Americans ends up in the trash. Americans waste about 100 billion pounds of food per year (Department of Agriculture statistics)! In fact, the average household throws out about 14% of their food purchases (University of Arizona study). That is not only wasteful in terms of landfill space, energy to transfer garbage, and methane (a greenhouse gas) released from rooting food, but also in terms of money!
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When I do participate in the monthly challenges, I not only feel more aware of how I'm impacting the environment but also how I'm impacting the quality of my own life (and other people's lives). The past changes I've participated in are
This month I will also be participating in the behavior change. In fact, I have become very conscious of food waste since living in NYC. Even if you do have money to throw around, I can't see the point in wasting money or food (two things that I like considerably). So, what I've found helpful are the tips Catherine listed in her email (which you hopefully read above) as well as freezing portions ahead of time before there are any leftovers. This also saves time in the long run for those of us with busy schedules and lends itself to flexibility in quality meal choices.
I almost forgot to mention the really great thing about Catherine's Earth Day Book - it's related to art! How could I almost forget that?! The book is a collaborative artists' book project for those who wish to use art as a means of positive environmental behavior change. Each month's behavior change is supposed to be documented via an artistic record (hence my poor participation in some months). The good news is, you can participate too!
If you're interested in learning more or receiving the monthly emails as a participant, contact Catherine at catherine.game [@] gmail.com
Visit the neat site she made for the project as well!
The Earth Day Book was also featured in the Compostable Times (fall 2009 issue).
When I do participate in the monthly challenges, I not only feel more aware of how I'm impacting the environment but also how I'm impacting the quality of my own life (and other people's lives). The past changes I've participated in are
- using a cloth handkerchief instead of paper tissue/kleenex
- reducing my plastic consumption (especially in the plastic bag department. While I was in NYC, CT, and back at school I made sure to bring my cloth tote to the grocery store and if I forgot I limited myself to getting only what I could carry/fit in my purse).
- energy sabbath (i.e. not using an energy such as electricity and instead using your own energy to complete a fulfilling task - this worked out well for me because I was making a lot of journals at the time and also living in the country).
This month I will also be participating in the behavior change. In fact, I have become very conscious of food waste since living in NYC. Even if you do have money to throw around, I can't see the point in wasting money or food (two things that I like considerably). So, what I've found helpful are the tips Catherine listed in her email (which you hopefully read above) as well as freezing portions ahead of time before there are any leftovers. This also saves time in the long run for those of us with busy schedules and lends itself to flexibility in quality meal choices.
I almost forgot to mention the really great thing about Catherine's Earth Day Book - it's related to art! How could I almost forget that?! The book is a collaborative artists' book project for those who wish to use art as a means of positive environmental behavior change. Each month's behavior change is supposed to be documented via an artistic record (hence my poor participation in some months). The good news is, you can participate too!
If you're interested in learning more or receiving the monthly emails as a participant, contact Catherine at catherine.game [@] gmail.com
Visit the neat site she made for the project as well!
The Earth Day Book was also featured in the Compostable Times (fall 2009 issue).
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