Do you want to reduce waste in your home? Let’s start with why you should. Waste is everywhere. It’s filling up our landfills, polluting our oceans, and harming wildlife and it can take several hundred years to break down. The good news is that much of the waste we generate can be avoided once we become aware of where it is coming from and, really, get creative to find ways to Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Rot. Learn more about these 5 R’s of Waste to get started, and then, get green and dive into reducing waste in your home!
Ways to Reduce Food Waste:
Food waste can be broken up into unavoidable food waste (food that can’t be eaten like used coffee grounds, bones, and shells) and avoidable food waste (food that could have been eaten, like leftovers or food that has reached its best before date). A whopping 63% of food waste in the home is avoidable food waste! Learn how to reduce your food waste, your environmental footprint, and save your money by:
- Planning it Out - 10 Easy Tips
- Using it Up - 5 Ways to Revive Food
- Keeping it Fresh - in your pantry, freezer, or fridge.
Check out this free downloadable cookbook with yummy recipes designed to prevent food waste, written by the Guelph Family Health Study. Download Rock What You’ve Got: Recipes for Preventing Food Waste here.
Make a garden with your kitchen scraps! If you are looking for ways to repurpose your compost, or are unable to compost, try this family-friendly activity to grow your own food and reduce food waste at the same time.
What Goes Where? Sort your Garbage & Recycling Right!
Put waste in its proper place by recycling and composting the correct materials. The Recycle Coach App makes it easy to learn how to sort your recyclables, compost, or digest many items, recycle other items, and place only unwanted items in the garbage. Visit the Recycle Coach here.