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Producing waste in our households will always happen, its what we do with this waste that actually counts. After peeling and trimming produce and prepping meals, we’re left with scraps that often get tossed in the compost bin or the trash. But think twice before tossing these odds and ends — there are actually quite a few delicious uses for common kitchen scraps and leftovers. Below are some innovative solutions to food waste.
SMALL WAYS TO REPURPOSE SCRAPS
- Roast Potato Peels Peeling some spuds to make mashed potatoes or potato salad? Those skins might not be part of your dish, but toss them in the oven and they make a crispy, chewy snack that falls somewhere between potato chips and French fries.
- Roast apple peels. If you’re making apple pie, or simply prefer to peel your apples before eating them, hang on to those peels. They’re a secret gem just waiting to be transformed into a sweet, crispy apple chip. Roast the peels, tossed with a tiny bit of melted butter and cinnamon sugar for a totally tasty snack.
- Use citrus peels to infuse flavor into foods, or freeze for later. Whether you’ve got lemons, limes, or oranges, there are so many ways to give citrus peels new life. You can plan ahead and zest the peel, then stash it in the freezer for later, before squeezing out the juice.
- Compost at Home Composting foods that can be organically disposed of at home is a great way to reduce the amount of food you throw in the trash. It’s good for the environment, and can give you some useful compost for the garden. Homemade compost will fertilize your soil and help with any gardening you do. a. Use food scraps such as fruits and vegetables, coffee grounds, eggshells, nutshells and tea bags. b. Do not dispose of meat, dairy or oils this way. c. Add the food waste to cardboard, newspaper, vegetation and other organic materials in your compost pile. Mix it in with soil and dirt so the food can be broken down. d. When you add new material to the pile, turn it with a garden fork or other tool to let fresh oxygen in to help with the composting process. e. If you don’t have a yard, you can still compost at home with an earthworm farm.
- Turn melon rinds into pickles Melon is such a sweet summertime treat. But after devouring the sweet flesh, most of us don’t think twice before tossing the rind, which can be just as valuable.
- Visit your local recycling center. If you don’t have the space, or are uncertain about composting at home, you can still deal with your food waste responsibly by visiting your local recycling center. Lots of recycling centers will have facilities to deal with food waste and composting. Generally you will be able to bring your food waste and either leave it with someone there, or dump it into the appropriate container.
- Freeze items for later disposal. This will halt the decomposition process and kill any insects or larva. This method can either be used in conjunction with a slop jar, or else large items, like a watermelon rind, can be placed in the freezer whole. However, it’s easy to forget these items on garbage day, so a Post-it note on the trash can is a good reminder.
REDUCING YOUR FOOD WASTE
- Store food effectively. Take some steps to help you reduce the amount of food waste you produce in the long-term. Often if we store food incorrectly it goes bad before it’s time, or it has a very limited lifespan. By taking the time to store food more effectively you can waste less and get better value for money.
- Shop smart. A simple way to reduce your food waste is to buy less food. Pay attention to how much you normally throw away, and try to make some adjustments to your grocery shop accordingly.
- Separate spoiled foods. You should act fast to deal with any food that is spoiled or that will go bad quickly. Such foods should be separated from the rest of your trash, kept in heavy duty plastic bags and disposed of quickly.
- Collect oils and fats in a container. Dispose of cooking oils and fats by collecting them in a jar, tub, or other container that you don’t mind throwing away. Do not pour hot oil or fat from cooking meats down your sink drain.
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