One of the best ways to prevent food waste is to plan ahead. You can make weekly meals ahead of time, and build shopping lists around what you realistically need. Keeping a list of meals you and your household enjoy can make this easier and help avoid impulsive purchases. Also, you can purchase imperfect produce, which is just as safe and nutritious, and avoiding bulk buying unless necessary.

Proper food storage makes food last longer. You can use your refrigerator’s high humidity drawer for vegetables like leafy greens and carrots, and the low humidity drawer for fruits and mushrooms. You can also keep ethylene producing fruits such as apples and bananas separate from other produce to slow ripening. Labeling leftovers with dates and freezing items you want for later can help too, and maintaining an organized refrigerator and pantry ensures you can easily track what you have.

Many ingredients nearing the end of their freshness can still be used. Vegetables past their prime work well in soups, casseroles, stir-fries, and smoothies. Stale bread can be transformed into croutons or bread pudding, and edible scraps like vegetable peels and herb stems can enhance homemade broths. Understanding the difference between “sell-by,” “use-by,” and “best-by” dates also helps minimize unnecessary food disposal. Always make sure to refrigerate leftovers within two hours and label them for safe storage.

When food cannot be consumed, consider alternatives to throwing it away. Donating safe, unopened, and unexpired food items to local food banks and organizations ensures they reach people in need. Composting food scraps is another good strategy, this stops organic waste from entering landfills where it generates potent greenhouse gases. Also, many communities now offer curbside collection or drop-off composting services.

Several resources are available to assist individuals and communities in reducing food waste. The Food: Too Good to Waste Toolkit provides households with tools to measure and reduce their food waste habits, while the EPA’s community toolkits offer guidance for developing local food waste prevention campaigns. Additionally, mobile apps like FoodKeeper provide information on proper food storage practices to help extend the life of groceries.