Roberta Guarnieri

Food waste is considered one of the biggest global problems as a huge number of people in the world are suffering from starvation. Wasted food ends up in the garbage and then in the landfill producing methane that is much more harmful than greenhouse gas. There are many reasons why food is wasted. For example some supermarket’s chains don’t want to sell food that looks ugly or weird.

Food waste also refers to items that could be consumed but unfortunately are thrown away. Moreover, during the stages of production, a huge amount of food is wasted because of wrong storage or transportation. How can we reduce food waste? Is there something we can do?

• Make a grocery list
  It’s necessary to make a grocery list before you go to the supermarket and make sure to buy what you need. When you overbuy food, there’s the risk that part of it will go straight to the rubbish bin.
  
• Organize your pantry
  First of all list the items you have already, put them all in the same place and go through each of them. Ask yourself what you really want to keep in your kitchen and what you don’t need anymore. Open drawers and cabinets and make sure that everything is under your control.
  
• Compost waste
  Everyone can compost at home, When you learn what to do and how it works, you will get a lot of benefits from the composting process. Composting helps to enrich soil with nutrients, encouraging the production of beneficial bacteria and it reduces food waste.
  
• Store food correctly
  When you buy food that you won’t eat shortly, make sure to check the expiration date in order to avoid waste. If you can, look for more sustainable options to the plastic packaging. Another way to keep your food fresh and avoid wasting it, is fridge organization.
  
• Make a weekly menu
  When you make a weekly menu, you can save a lot of waste.This plan helps you to keep track of the food you need for the whole week.

Eco Craft can be reached at: