Author: United States alone discards over ⅓ of its total food supply.
Globally, roughly 14% of all food produced is wasted between production and retail. An additional 17% of the available food ( 931 million metric tons) is wasted after being purchased.
But don’t get eco-depressed! Making just a few small changes — and spreading the word — can have a big impact.
4 Benefits of Recycling Food Waste
Preventing your food from going to landfills is single-handedly one of the most important things you can do to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and your own carbon footprint.
Pair that new habit with our plant-based compostable household products and you’re an eco-rockstar!
Why else should you care about repurposing food waste?
The average family of 4 throws away an estimated $1,500 in food every year! Corporately, it’s also in a company’s best financial interest to prevent food waste.
When food gets thrown away, it’s more than a bag of spinach ending up in a landfill. The entire supply chain of water, land, and energy that went into getting that item to your table is also wasted. Including the fossil fuels and the process of making the plastic packaging.
Food sitting in a landfill doesn’t degrade because that was never the point of a landfill. Instead, it rots and contributes 11% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Many food items are trashed prematurely and could be donated to help the millions of people and children living with food insecurity.
Are there any limits to what kind of food scraps can be reused or recycled? Not really! But always keep safety in mind especially when dealing with meats and dairy products.
What Kinds of Food Waste Can Be Recycled?
The absolute best part about repurposing food waste is the sheer variety of possibilities. Next time you’re chopping, destemming, mincing, or grating, think about how to turn these scraps into something delicious.
- Leafy Tops
- Any kind of green that grows out of the top of a veggie or fruit. Think strawberries and carrots.
- Stems
- Cauliflower, broccoli, herbs, mushrooms.
- Peels/Skin
- Potatoes, zucchini, carrots, onions, and garlic.
- Rinds
- Oranges, lemons, limes, and mangos.
- Bones
- Can anyone say “DIY bone broth is actually super easy to make”?
- Cores
- Apples, mangos, peaches, and cherries.
- “The Uglies”
- The ugly, unused ends or tops.
- Pulp
- Remaining pulp from DIY nut milk or from fruit and vegetable juicing.
- AM (or PM) Caffeine
- Coffee grounds and tea leaves (not the tea bags).
If you’re not sure thrifty cooking is right for you, there are more options!
How to Recycle Food Scraps
A recipe or two is fun but if a zero waste meal routine isn’t in your future, honestly, same. Here are four more ways to reduce your food waste.
There are so in-ground system, or a compost appliance like Lomi (that turns food scraps and approved items — like Repurpose products — into fresh soil in just a few hours!).
Use veggie scraps to grow more veggies with a backyard garden, windowsill garden, or right in your fridge.
Check out farms in your area. Many accept food scraps for their own compost pile or because chickens will apparently eat (just about) anything.
Many types of food waste can be repurposed into non-food options such as cleaners made from citrus rinds and body scrubs made from used coffee grounds.
We’ve enjoyed hanging out with you but it’s time to get to the fun part: seven delicious ways to recycle your food waste!
7 Fun (And Easy) Ways To Recycle Food Waste
Use this clove-r recipe for a new seasoning that’s not garlic powder and not garlic salt.
How to: Save your garlic peels until you have enough (literally as many as you want). Wash them thoroughly and dry them on a towel. Put them on a baking sheet and bake until they’re nice and crispy. Add the crispy skins to a blender or food processor with a bit of salt. Use liberally on everything!
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Save those carrot peels to make a crunchy treat to snack on while you’re preparing the rest of the meal. How to: Save the peels next time you’re eating carrots. Wash the peels really really well and lightly pat dry with a towel. Add a bit of oil, salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin powder, and cheddar cheese (sub nutritional yeast). Roast in the oven at 350F for 5-8 minutes. Or use the air fryer.
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