Reducing Food Waste

While living in South Korea I learned a thing or two about food waste....namely, how much of it I waste!!

Recycling Laws in SoKo prohibit you from throwing food waste out with your other non-recyclable garbage.  You must collect it and dump it in the compost bins next to the recycling bins outside of your apartment.  At first I thought this was so gross!  (Imagine:  July, mid-morning, 75 degrees F, 98.9% humidity. Last night's kimchi leftovers and fishbones.)  After I got the hang of it though, I realized that we throw away a lot more than we need too.

Without the local law here, I feel terrible about throwing away compost potential food.  Coffee grinds that could fertilize plants.  (Imagine me now, throwing rotted fruit into the trees behind our house while I pray a stray animal will find dinner...really, ask my husband.)

In honor of my garbage guilt (how's that for a turn of phrase) I have found creative ways to reduce my food waste.  Here are a few:

1. "Kitchen Sink" Pasta. My version of what my mother in law calls "stuff."  It's whatever veggies I have moved to the fridge because their life expectancy is dwindling.  Add onions, garlic and pasta...and voila!  Dinner is never the same twice!

2. Use coffee grounds in potted plants/garden.  Our house produces enough coffee grounds to fertilize a small orchard.  Since we do not have a garden (see also: future goal) we use only enough coffee grounds for Basil (pronounced "Ba-zil") our small basil (pronounced bay-zil) plant.

3. Start your own compost pile.  It is really just that easy.  Composting will reduce the waste that ends up in a land fill and enriches the soil you use in your garden.  If you don't have a garden, you can get with a neighbor who does, and start a community compost!  (I love alliteration!)  Here's a great site with How To Information.  And some time in the near future, I'll post on my adventures in composting...

Also, look how cute composting can be! Compost Collector 

4. Doggy Bag It.  I'm too cheap to EVER leave food behind at a restaurant, but please, take that food home, because it will just go in the trash!  Or, try ordering a smaller portion, or appetizer.  Note:  I might not do this if the restaurant uses styrofoam.  We're gonna need a full entry for styrofoam....

5. Stock your fridge and pantry with newest in the back, oldest in the front.  If it's good enough for the grocery store, it's good enough for me.  When I go food shopping with my mom, she always reaches for the product way in the back of the shelf.  She taught me that the newer milk, eggs, etc are always in the back because people always grab what's in front.  I know there's a fancy name for it, but I don't know it.  Use this mentality when stocking your fridge and pantry.  Put the older items in the front, so that they get used first.

These are really easy ways to get you on your way to reducing your waste!  Which one are you going to try first?  What were the ingredients in your "Kitchen Sink" pasta this week?