Sustainable living:

Effective Techniques to Cut Household Food Waste

Craig, Mia and Faye with MEP Grace O’Sullivan at Street Feast

Craig, Mia and Faye with Councillor Jason Murphy

Welcome to our first blog! In May WEF took part in the Top of the City Gardens ‘Street Feast’ community market. Three of the WEF members, Craig, Faye, and Mia withstood the rain and met with the brave locals who came along despite the weather! There were some tasty treats made by the members to show everyone a few of their favourite ways to reduce food waste. Craig made a classic banana bread with some bananas that were on their last legs, which was a big hit. Faye transformed some veggies that were sitting in the fridge waiting to be used by making some delicious crispy vegetable fritters. Mia used some homegrown rhubarb to make a rhubarb syrup which was mixed with sparkling water to make a refreshing drink. She also used the separated fruit to make a jam which went very well in some pastry tartlets, to use up nearly all of the rhubarb. As novice home cooks they did a good job in showcasing some creative ways that food waste can be avoided, and were even followed up for the recipes by a couple of people! It was a great way to showcase the Forum and get our name out there in the community. It was also great to have the chance to meet some of the wonderful local groups, musicians, and businesses. Thanks to Justyna at the Top of the City Gardens for having us. 

As in line with WEF’s strategic pillars and goals, our purpose at the event was to inspect and increase the communities awareness surrounding household food waste. We highlighted that the EPA estimates that Ireland generates over 750,000 tonnes of food waste per year. Additionally, just under a third of food waste generated in Ireland is from households. As such, roughly 221,000 tones of food bought by households becomes waste. As Charlie McConalogue, T.D. Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine stated in the National Food Waste Prevention Roadmap “When food is wasted, it is not just the food itself that goes to waste: other losses include the time, energy and resources used to produce it as well the resources used to process, transport, store, sell and buy the food. Food waste also impacts on our carbon footprint: by reducing food waste we will reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.”

Ireland has committed to reducing its food waste by 50% in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. As outlined in the National Food Waste Prevention Roadmap, this is a collective task. Every organisation, every business, every household, and every individual has to play a role. The Stop Food Waste initiative by the EPA has become an extensive resource for information on reducing household food waste, from recipes, facts, and planning resources. Their Stop Food Waste Pocket Guide (SFWPG) offers 5 key tips for reducing household food waste; Plan, Shop, Storage, Freeze, and Cook. 

1. Plan

Planning meals is a highly effective strategy for cutting down on food waste and saving money on groceries. The SFWPG recommends to: 

1. Track What You Need: Keep an ongoing list of items that need replenishing. Use a blackboard in the kitchen or a shopping list on the fridge to make this easy.

2. Create a Meal Plan: Plan your meals weekly or monthly. Select recipes that allow ingredients to be used across multiple meals. For instance, if you use half a carton of cream for a recipe on Monday, incorporate the rest into a pasta dish on Tuesday.

3. Make a Shopping List: Start with the list of items you've run out of and combine it with your meal plan. This will streamline your grocery shopping process and ensure you buy only what you need.

2. Shopping

Preventing food waste starts with mindful shopping. Shops use various tactics to encourage us to overspend, but with a few strategies, you can stick to your list and only buy what you need. Here’s how to navigate the grocery store effectively:

1. Choose a Smaller Shopping Trolley: Using a larger trolley can lead to overspending. Opt for a smaller cart or a basket to help limit your purchases.

2. Head to the Basics First: Skip the fresh and appealing sections initially and head straight for the essentials at the back of the store. This helps you stay focused on what you need and prevents impulse buys. Save delicate items like bread and fruit for last to avoid squashing them.

3. Be Wary of Special Deals: Special offers on perishables like fruits, vegetables, and salads can be tempting, but they’re not a bargain if they end up in the trash. Buy only what you can consume before they spoil.

4. Don’t Shop Hungry: Shopping on an empty stomach often leads to unnecessary purchases. Have a snack and a glass of water before you go to the store to curb hunger-driven buys.

5. Check Expiry Dates: For items you don’t use quickly, look at the back of the shelves for products with longer use-by dates. This ensures they’ll last longer at home.

3. Storage

Proper food storage significantly extends the shelf life of your groceries. Check out the A-Z of Foods on stopfoodwaste.ie for more detailed advice. Here are some common food storage mistakes and how to avoid them from the SFWPG:

1. Storing New Food in Front When you unpack groceries, place new items at the back and move older ones to the front. This ensures you use the older items first, reducing waste.

2. Avoid Mixing All Your Fruits Together Some fruits, like apples, bananas, and nectarines, emit ethylene gas, which accelerates ripening. Store these fruits separately or in a well-ventilated area to slow down the ripening process.

3. Unidentified Frozen Objects (UFOs) It's easy to forget what's in your freezer. Label items when you freeze them or keep a list on your freezer door to track what you have.

4. Avoid Discarding Original Packaging Original packaging is designed to preserve food and contains useful information on portions and cooking. Usually, it's best to keep food in its original packaging.

4. Freeze

Make the most of your food by utilizing your freezer effectively. Ice-cube trays, muffin trays, and small containers can simplify freezer storage.

• Peppers & Onions: Dice and store in freezer bags.

• Cheese: Slice or grate hard cheese before freezing.

• Bread: Slice before freezing; defrost slices as needed for toast.

• Eggs: Freeze raw eggs (without shells) in bun trays; thaw and use as usual.

• Milk & Cream: Consume within 24 hours of defrosting.

• Nuts: Extend their shelf life by freezing.

• Sauces & Stocks: Freeze in ice cube trays for easy portioning.

• Fruit: Enjoy frozen grapes as a refreshing treat!

5. Cooking 

Here are some tips to help you make the most out of your meals and avoid common mistakes:

1. Know Your Portions: Use measuring tools, weighing scales, or online resources to ensure you serve the right portions.

2. Lay It Out: Serve food in dishes at the center of the table and let everyone take what they need. This way, leftovers are more likely to be saved from a communal dish than from individual plates.

3. Mix and Match: Use versatile ingredients that can be incorporated into different meals.

4. Freestyle It: Don't stress about following recipes to the letter. Get creative and use whatever ingredients you have on hand. Wraps and curries are perfect for this.

5. Know Your Dates

• Use-by date: Food can be eaten or frozen up until this date but not after.

• Best before date: Food is safe to eat after this date but might not be at its peak quality.

1. Beware the Hungry Cook: We often cook too much when we're hungry. Be mindful of portions when you're on an empty stomach.

2. Assess Food Waste: If you find yourself throwing away cooked food, take a moment to understand why it was wasted. This can help you reduce future waste.

3. Plan Your Meals: Deciding what to cook daily can be exhausting. Plan your meals for the week over the weekend to avoid the daily "what's for dinner?" struggle.

4. Think Before You Bin: Before tossing unused food, ask yourself:

1. Can I freeze it for later?

2. Can I repurpose it for another meal?

3. Is there someone else who might use it?

Remember, you don't need to be a gourmet chef to make the most of your food!

We hope you enjoyed our first blog and found some useful tips for reducing household food waste. Stay tuned for more insights, information, and updates from WEF. Together, we can make a difference and work towards a more sustainable future.