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How to avoid food waste: 10 green ideas

Avoid food waste

From the garden to the table, up to the compost bin: every day in the world, tons of food end up being thrown away, and Italy is among the most wasteful countries. According to a study conducted by Waste Watcher, waste equals as much as 595.3 grams of food per week per individual in Italy alone.

Food waste is present at all levels of the supply chain. According to FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), about 14% of food products worldwide get lost before reaching the shelf, in one of the many stages of the production chain: on the fields, damaged products are discarded and cannot be sold.

Up to the consumer table: the UNEP Food Waste Index (United Nations Environment Programme) shows that the level of waste for citizens reaches almost 17% of food worldwide; lost and wasted food could feed billions of hungry people every year.

But why is it important to consume food rationally? And how can we prevent food waste? Let's see 10 simple green tips to follow every day, for a sustainable, healthy and resource-respecting world!

Why is it important not to waste food?

Let us always remember that a green world is a waste-free world. Sustainability does not allow for food dispersion, which is why food waste reduction is among the Agenda 2030 objectives. The impact of waste on the planet is enormous and touches every corner of the ecosystem.

Water resource

Almost 70% of water that human beings use every day is used to irrigate fields and grow food, including what will be thrown away. Wasting the products of the earth, the fruits, the cereals and the meat, also means wasting our precious water.

Soil quality

The human population continues to grow. To balance food supply and demand, the soil is often subjected to intensive treatments that reduce both its quality and fertility. If you think that most of those products get thrown away, why put so much pressure on the soil?

Biodiversity

Overfishing, deforestation, intensive farming: to bring food to the table, we often steal from nature without any limits, damaging flora and fauna. An environmental and economic waste, which also becomes food waste.

Climate change

Our carbon footprint is inevitably influenced by food production and waste. From the use of nitrogen fertilizers for agriculture and livestock, to fossil fuels in landfills: the amount of CO2 emissions is proportional to the food that is being wasted.

10 green tips to not waste food

You can help the planet and reduce waste directly from your kitchen, just follow a few little green tips!

  1. Plan your meals for the week, or create a cookbook to help you choose what to buy at the supermarket;
  2. Freeze leftover foods and meals before they go off;
  3. Make sure that a product has actually expired, before throwing it away: remember that “best before” is not synonymous with “to be consumed by”;
  4. Ensure that your refrigerator is fully functional and set the temperature to 4 degrees;
  5. Store each food in the right compartment: store fruit and vegetables in the drawers; meat and raw fish should be placed at the bottom; cheese, eggs and sliced meats go to in the middle; cooked foods and leftovers go on the top shelves;
  6. Try to organize the fridge every time you buy groceries: put the expiring products in the front, so that you consume them earlier;
  7. When you cook, weigh the quantities carefully and serve smaller portions;
  8. Keep your cupboard tidy and choose rigid containers for pasta, biscuits and flour, so as to avoid insects or pests;
  9. Some food scraps are ideal to nourish your own garden from coffee grounds to egg shells, for a completely circular household;
  10. If you have prepared too much food, organize food sharing events with neighbours or friends.

Acea Waidy Wow accompanies you through a path of sustainability, even in your home microcosm! Discover all the green tips and give your contribution to the safeguarding of the planet. Don’t forget to download the Acea Waidy Wow app, to fill your water bottle or refill container at the water point closest to you.