The Number One Thing You Can Do to Reduce Food Waste
When I tell people about my freegan lifestyle or that I went almost two years without buying groceries, they can hardly believe it. For a lot of people, a natural curiosity begins to form. What can they do to make an impact on the environment (and for their wallet)? Is it possible for them to go months without buying groceries as well? Hearing something like going 1 year and 9 months without buying groceries can seem so impossible, it may not even seem like it’s worth trying.
But alas! The best thing I can do is inspire action. To do that, I need to give practical advice for how other people can get there too. Maybe 2 years without buying groceries isn’t realistic, maybe shopping for groceries half as often is.
So what’s the number one thing you can be doing? Taking an inventory of what you have.
That’s right – knowing exactly what you have in your fridge, freezer, and cabinets at all times. It almost seems too simple, but it’s the framework for success. It’s getting organized. Once you are organized, you can prioritize your work.
I’ve noticed that my fridge typically has significantly less food than other people’s. I can usually see everything inside it. I know exactly what is in there at all times, as well as the freezer and cabinets. This allows me to eat first based on what is most at risk of going bad, then based on what I want to eat.
To make this more tangible, I’ll list out what I have in my fridge, freezer, and cabinets right now. I don’t have it written down or saved anywhere, because I’m always aware of the inventory. Here’s what I remember by heart and we’ll see how the pictures compare:
Fridge
The fridge is pretty low right now: a ton of apples and oranges, a bag of carrots, a small box of mint leaves, my lunch tupperware for today, a water filter, a couple of boxes of vegan egg mix, as well as some basic sauces like barbecue, hot sauce, dressings and jelly.
Freezer
A few bags of snap peas, broccoli rice, tortillas, a bottle of booze, and some ice cubes
In the cabinets
2-3 cans of beans, a cans of tomatoes, a few bottles of unopened barbecue and hot sauces, a 3 packs of ramen noodles, 2-70% full bags of cereal, a bag of protein powder, a huge box of sugar packets, almonds, cashews, banana chips, tortillas chips, a few granola bars, spices, flour, syrup and maybe one or two other baking goods
On the counter
A 2-lb bag of brown rice, 4-6 russet and sweet potatoes, a tomato, an onion, a tub of olive oil, protein powder, hemp seeds, and maybe a couple of other items.
So what kinds of meals would I cook? For breakfast, I would have apples and oranges, either eat them
With this supply, I’d probably make the following mash: a can of beans with either rice or potatoes (maybe both if we need a lot of meals in the next few days), sauteed onions, snap peas, broccoli rice, and carrots. I’d chop up the tomato and throw that in as well. Maybe I’ll sprinkle in some hemp seeds and other spices for good luck. We might use the tortillas to have ourselves some tacos and we’ll certainly use a combo of the sauces. Sauce is absolutely critical in mashes.
Admittedly, we don’t have too much in our inventory right now, but we still have plenty to make a couple of jungle mashes AKA 4-5 days worth of lunches and dinners. When you look at these pictures, especially the fridge, it seems like there isn’t possibly enough food to last long. I often have these thoughts, but then I’m amazed at the creative meals my Uncle and I come up with. Freeganism forces creativity.
By knowing what we have, we are able to focus on using what’s closest to going bad.
We aren’t stuck in a situation where we have too much at-risk food to get through, and inevitably watch things go to waste. We aren’t stuck in a position of if we move or go on vacation, we are throwing away a month’s worth of food.
By eating what’s going bad first, you give yourself more time with the food supply that you do have. This extra time gives you more opportunities to find food and keep the streak/food supply going longer. Even if this means some boredom from eating the same foods for a few days in a row, there’s usually enough variation to keep it at bay.
40% of all food produced in the U.S. goes uneaten and 43% of that comes from homes. In other words, 17% of all food produced in the U.S. eventually gets tossed from homes. Staying organized is a huge step we can take towards eliminating this.
There you have it. The number one thing you can do to reduce food waste: keeping an inventory. It sounds simple, but if you consistently extend your food supply a day or two longer, it adds up exponentially. Days turn into weeks and weeks turn into months.
Keeping inventory points to a key pillar of freeganism: appreciating what you have.
-Freddy
THIS is excellent because it is an easy, tangible first step. It shows you how little we all need those MONSTER refrigerators that seem to be to be “showpieces” in overpriced kitchens. Keep up the fine work. The Gaucho Panda approves and is inspired. Less food is more room for beer…
Thanks Gaucho and excellent points! When you focus on what you need, it helps you see what you don’t need. It’s almost too simple.