Tips to trim nutrient discarded (and prevention money)

Apr 8, 2025

Graphic of nutrient being thrown into nan trash and female saying to extremity it.

By Jeff Patterson

You astir apt don’t deliberation overmuch astir tossing retired leftovers aliases nutrient that is past its “sell-by” date. Unfortunately, throwing distant unconsumed nutrient contributes to a larger corporate problem of nutrient waste.  All told, immoderate 1.24 cardinal pounds of nutrient are wasted each time successful nan Austin area. 

All that squandered nutrient ends up decomposing successful landfills and generating methane, a hazardous aerial pollutant and greenhouse gas.  Climate scientists estimate that astir 10 percent of each greenhouse state emissions are caused by nutrient discarded successful landfills.

Austin’s Curbside Composting Collection Program collects nutrient scraps, gait trimmings, food-soiled insubstantial and earthy fibers successful your greenish composting carts and converts them into nutrient-rich compost. The compost is disposable to residents arsenic mulch to thief ungraded clasp h2o aliases arsenic fertilizer to provender lawns and gardens without chemicals.   

By composting and keeping nutrient retired of landfills, we tin thief protect our satellite and trim greenhouse state emissions successful our ain backyard.  Even more, reducing nutrient discarded tin thief prevention money. Every year, Americans suffer much than $218 cardinal connected wasted food. A family of 4 tin prevention an mean of $1,500 per twelvemonth by preventing nutrient waste!

Austin Resource Recovery wants to support Austinites informed astir applicable and cost-effective ways you tin forestall nutrient waste. 

Top tips to thief you trim nutrient waste

  1. Create an “Eat This Now” conception successful your refrigerator and pantry. Organize nutrient that needs to beryllium consumed quickly and explanation nan acquisition dates to prioritize older items. 

  2. Cook only what you request for circumstantial meals. Be intentional astir nan portions you are cooking and nan ingredients you are buying. This food calculator tin thief estimate nan magnitude of nutrient needed.

  3. Learn really to decently shop fruits and vegetables to make them past longer. Some fruits and vegetables for illustration cool, acheronian spots while others for illustration to enactment connected your counter.

  4. Compost nutrient scraps that you can’t finish. Composting gives your nutrient different life arsenic rich | ungraded that benefits our community. The satellite will emotion you for it!

  5. Your freezer is your friend. You tin frost astir foods, specified arsenic nutrient and vegetables, that you don’t intend to eat correct away. This will thief support nan nutrient from going bad earlier you person a chance to eat it. 

  6. Don’t ever judge nan labels. Labels for illustration “best by” and “sell by” service arsenic guides for nan value of a product, not its expiration date. These labels are not regulated by nan U.S. Food and Drug Administration.  Use communal consciousness to find if a merchandise is still bully to eat.  

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