{"id":28013,"date":"2020-01-22T15:40:03","date_gmt":"2020-01-22T20:40:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/canada\/?p=28013"},"modified":"2021-12-06T06:30:47","modified_gmt":"2021-12-06T11:30:47","slug":"how-to-stop-wasting-food-in-2020-a-comprehensive-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/canada\/en\/story\/28013\/how-to-stop-wasting-food-in-2020-a-comprehensive-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"How to stop food waste: a comprehensive guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong><em>58%<\/em> of all food produced in Canada \u2014 <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/secondharvest.ca\/news\/more-than-half-of-all-food-produced-in-canada-is-lost-or-wasted-report-says\/\" target=\"_blank\">35.5 million tonnes<\/a> \u2014 is lost or wasted every year. <\/strong>In monetary terms, that\u2019s <strong>$49 billion<\/strong> we\u2019re chucking in wasted food, or <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbc.ca\/news\/canada\/toronto\/food-waste-report-second-harvest-1.4981728\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>$1,766 per household<\/strong><\/a>. Recent research suggests the amount of edible food thrown away by the average household represents enough calories to <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.timescolonist.com\/five-meals-a-week-scientists-audit-garbage-to-assess-household-food-waste-1.23958604\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>have an adult over for dinner five nights a week<\/strong><\/a> without adding a dime to the grocery bill.<\/p>\n\n<p><strong>The food we fail to cook is cooking our climate. <\/strong>Food loss and waste represents <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wri.org\/blog\/2015\/12\/whats-food-loss-and-waste-got-do-climate-change-lot-actually\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>8% of global greenhouse gas emissions<\/strong><\/a> &#8211; or, to put it another way, <strong>it generates four times as much greenhouse gas emissions per year as global aviation.<\/strong> This is made all the more heartbreaking knowing 4 million Canadians <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbc.ca\/news\/canada\/toronto\/food-waste-report-second-harvest-1.4981728\" target=\"_blank\">experience food insecurity<\/a><\/strong> &#8211; a number that is expected to double by the end of 2020 due to the impacts of COVID-19.<\/p>\n\n<p>Meanwhile, supermarkets throw out tonnes of high quality, edible, unsold food <strong><em>every day.<\/em><\/strong> Greenpeace volunteers <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/act.gp\/2UPvcFq\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">are calling on Metro, Sobeys and Loblaw President and CEOs to commit to a zero edible food waste target.<\/a><\/strong>&nbsp;Giant supermarket chains have a corporate responsibility to reduce their carbon footprint, and a social responsibility to do their bit to help the millions of Canadians facing food insecurity. <\/p>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-button aligncenter is-style-cta\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link\" href=\"https:\/\/act.gp\/2UPvcFq\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"https:\/\/act.gp\/2UPvcFq noopener noreferrer\">STOP FOOD WASTE IN SUPERMARKETS<\/a><\/div>\n\n<p>To get you started on your own zero food waste journey, here are some tips and tricks to ensure the food we buy makes it onto our plates, into our tummies and stays out of landfills.<\/p>\n\n<p><strong>JUMP TO A SECTION <\/strong><\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"#grocery-shopping\"><strong>Tips for grocery shopping<\/strong><\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#in-the-home\"><strong>Tips for at home<\/strong><\/a><\/li><li><strong><a href=\"#events\">Tips for eating at restaurants, parties and events (remember those?! Written pre-COVID-19)<\/a><\/strong><\/li><\/ul>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"grocery-shopping\">Grocery Shopping:<\/h2>\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Use shopping apps to find items coming up to their best before date<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n<p>Food waste from supermarkets and grocery stores is a significant factor in the food waste problem. In 2016, France became the first country in the world to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2016\/feb\/04\/french-law-forbids-food-waste-by-supermarkets\"><strong>ban supermarkets from throwing away or destroying unsold food<\/strong><\/a>, forcing them instead to donate it to charities and food banks. Canada is not quite there yet.<\/p>\n\n<p>In the meantime, there are a few apps you can use to purchase food coming up to its expiration date at steep discounts, so you can save money and food at the same time! Check out<strong> <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.flashfood.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\"><strong>Flashfood<\/strong><\/a> which is available across Canada, and <a href=\"https:\/\/foodhero.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\"><strong>Foodhero<\/strong><\/a>, available in Montreal.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large  caption-style-blue-overlay caption-alignment-center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.flashfood.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"502\" src=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-canada-stateless\/2020\/01\/936d2e6e-screen-shot-2020-01-07-at-12.32.10-pm-1024x502.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-28081\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-canada-stateless\/2020\/01\/936d2e6e-screen-shot-2020-01-07-at-12.32.10-pm-1024x502.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-canada-stateless\/2020\/01\/936d2e6e-screen-shot-2020-01-07-at-12.32.10-pm-300x147.png 300w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-canada-stateless\/2020\/01\/936d2e6e-screen-shot-2020-01-07-at-12.32.10-pm-768x377.png 768w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-canada-stateless\/2020\/01\/936d2e6e-screen-shot-2020-01-07-at-12.32.10-pm-510x250.png 510w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-canada-stateless\/2020\/01\/936d2e6e-screen-shot-2020-01-07-at-12.32.10-pm.png 1292w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Beware of bulk deals<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n<p>Buying items in bulk at grocery stores offering deals to move products seems like a good idea at the time &#8211; until you find the remains of whatever you\u2019ve purchased building bacterial colonies at the back of your fridge.<\/p>\n\n<p><em>It\u2019s not a good deal if you can\u2019t eat it.<\/em> Either stick to buying the amount of things you need or freeze the extras so they don\u2019t go bad.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<p>You could also get a <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"#GoodFoodChallenge (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/act.gp\/39M8tA3\" target=\"_blank\">#GoodFoodChallenge<\/a><\/strong> shopping buddy to split large portions of fruits and veggies between the two of you.&nbsp;Find more tips and root-to-stem recipes <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"on the #GoodFoodChallenge Pinterest page (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/act.gp\/GoodFoodChallenge\" target=\"_blank\">on the #GoodFoodChallenge Pinterest page<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ban grocery stores from throwing away edible food<\/h4>\n\n<p>The biggest impact we can have on the food waste coming out of grocery stores is to require supermarkets by law to donate any unsold, perfectly edible food. <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/act.gp\/2UPvcFq\" target=\"_blank\">SIGN THE PETITION NOW calling on supermarkets in Canada to go zero food waste!<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-cta\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-text-color has-background\" href=\"https:\/\/act.gp\/2UPvcFq\" style=\"background-color:#f36d3a;color:#ffffff\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"https:\/\/act.gp\/2UPvcFq noopener noreferrer\">STOP FOOD WASTE IN SUPERMARKETS<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"in-the-home\">In the Home:<\/h2>\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Make a weekly meal plan<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n<p>Plan out your meals for the week so you know exactly what ingredients you need to shop for and then make your list based on this. Don\u2019t buy more than what you need.<\/p>\n\n<p>Check out this <a href=\"https:\/\/savethefood.com\/meal-prep-mate\/\"><strong>meal prep mate<\/strong><\/a> to help you get started, or one of the following apps:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"http:\/\/www.mealime.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Mealime<\/strong><\/a> (good for planning family meals)<\/li><li><strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/veganizedtheapp.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Veganized<\/a><\/strong> (will help you plan plant-based meals and will track your nutrient intake)<\/li><li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"http:\/\/www.foodplannerapp.com\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>FoodPlanner<\/strong><\/a> (customize your meal plan by searching for recipes on the web and downloading them to the app, which will automatically generate a shopping list)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large  caption-style-blue-overlay caption-alignment-center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/veganizedtheapp.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-canada-stateless\/2020\/01\/9d8c7f3d-screen-shot-2020-01-07-at-12.29.45-pm-1024x540.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-28079\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-canada-stateless\/2020\/01\/9d8c7f3d-screen-shot-2020-01-07-at-12.29.45-pm-1024x540.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-canada-stateless\/2020\/01\/9d8c7f3d-screen-shot-2020-01-07-at-12.29.45-pm-300x158.png 300w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-canada-stateless\/2020\/01\/9d8c7f3d-screen-shot-2020-01-07-at-12.29.45-pm-768x405.png 768w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-canada-stateless\/2020\/01\/9d8c7f3d-screen-shot-2020-01-07-at-12.29.45-pm-510x269.png 510w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-canada-stateless\/2020\/01\/9d8c7f3d-screen-shot-2020-01-07-at-12.29.45-pm.png 1130w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Use apps to find recipes for ingredients you already have<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n<p>It\u2019s the end of the week and you open your fridge to find a smattering of random vegetables leftover from a week\u2019s worth of cooking. Before you shut the fridge door and turn to takeout instead, check out some of these apps to help you find a recipe for the ingredients you have on hand:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.supercook.com\/#\/recipes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\"><strong>Supercook<\/strong><\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.allrecipes.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\"><strong>Allrecipes<\/strong><\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bigoven.com\/recipes\/leftover\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\"><strong>Big Oven Leftovers<\/strong><\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/apps.apple.com\/us\/app\/epicurious-recipes-food-videos\/id312101965\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\"><strong>Epicurious<\/strong><\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/cookpad.com\/us\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\"><strong>Cookpad<\/strong><\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/apps.apple.com\/ca\/app\/tasty\/id1217456898\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\"><strong>Tasty<\/strong><\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/myfridgefood.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\"><strong>My Fridge Food<\/strong><\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/play.google.com\/store\/apps\/details?id=com.sevtech.app.fridge&amp;ref=producthunt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\"><strong>Fridge<\/strong><\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Eat root to stem<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n<p>Eating the entire fruit or vegetable &#8211; known as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.huffpost.com\/entry\/food-waste_b_3943286\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\"><strong>eating root-to-stem<\/strong><\/a> &#8211; has come into vogue in the food world in recent years. From the greens on your beets or carrots to the seeds in your melons, we throw away a lot of edible food simply because we aren\u2019t used to cooking with it. For instance, did you know you can make a <a href=\"https:\/\/yupitsvegan.com\/carrot-top-pesto\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\"><strong>yummy pesto from carrot greens<\/strong><\/a>? A comforting winter tea <a href=\"http:\/\/kamimcbride.com\/wait-dont-throw-away-orange-peels-orange-peel-tea\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\"><strong>using orange peels<\/strong><\/a>?<\/p>\n\n<p>Find some great recipe suggestions to get started cooking root-to-stem <a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthygreensavvy.com\/root-to-stalk\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\"><strong>here<\/strong><\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.onegreenplanet.org\/vegan-food\/cooking-with-vegetables-from-root-to-stem\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\"><strong>here<\/strong><\/a>. You can also <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"check out our Pinterest board (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pinterest.ca\/GoodFoodChallenge\/eating-root-to-stem\/\" target=\"_blank\">check out our Pinterest board<\/a><\/strong> for over 100 recipe ideas that will make you look at the food you&#8217;ve been tossing in your compost bin in a completely new light.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large  caption-style-blue-overlay caption-alignment-center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pinterest.ca\/GoodFoodChallenge\/eating-root-to-stem\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"752\" height=\"507\" src=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-canada-stateless\/2020\/01\/90f6b646-127f44d449bab4b55e504bd68371103d.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-28070\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-canada-stateless\/2020\/01\/90f6b646-127f44d449bab4b55e504bd68371103d.jpeg 752w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-canada-stateless\/2020\/01\/90f6b646-127f44d449bab4b55e504bd68371103d-300x202.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-canada-stateless\/2020\/01\/90f6b646-127f44d449bab4b55e504bd68371103d-504x340.jpeg 504w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px\" \/><\/a><figcaption>Pink Hummus with Swiss Chard Stems from makingsof.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Repurpose leftovers<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n<p>How many of us have had the best intentions of eating the leftovers we carefully stored away in our fridges, but when the next day comes &#8211; we no longer feel like eating them?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<p>Make leftovers great again! Reimagine and repurpose your leftover dishes by incorporating them into entirely new meals. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.buzzfeed.com\/samimain\/smart-ways-to-turn-leftovers-into-bestovers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\"><strong>Check out this blog<\/strong><\/a> for 22 ideas to get you started.<\/p>\n\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.gibbs-lab.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Cookbook050516.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\"><strong>Explore this online recipe guide<\/strong><\/a> to find more repurposing leftover meals and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pinterest.ca\/GoodFoodChallenge\/repurposed-leftover-recipes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"explore our Pinterest board (opens in a new tab)\">explore our Pinterest board<\/a><\/strong> for more ideas.<\/p>\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Freeze leftovers<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n<p>If you\u2019re making a big pot of soup, chilli or another dish that produces more portions than you can feasibly eat in a few days, stick them in reusable freezer bags or containers for another day. Your future self will thank you when you\u2019ve had a busy week and you\u2019re stuck with nothing to make!<\/p>\n\n<p>Make sure you label with the date when you put it in the freezer and eat it on time &#8211; don\u2019t forget about your leftovers.<\/p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.budgetbytes.com\/how-to-freeze-leftovers\/\"><strong>Here\u2019s a guide on how to freeze different types of leftovers<\/strong><\/a>, which includes charts that will tell you how long various foods can stay in the freezer for.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Freeze extra fruits and vegetables<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n<p>Pre-packaged vegetables and fruits sometimes make it difficult to buy exactly how much you need for a recipe and you end up with more than you can eat in a reasonable amount of time. Or maybe you\u2019re leaving for a trip and have fruits and veggies you won\u2019t be able to finish.<\/p>\n\n<p>Pop whatever you can\u2019t eat into reusable freezer bags or containers and put them in the freezer for when you return. You can use this <a href=\"https:\/\/savethefood.com\/storage\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\"><strong>Store It<\/strong><\/a> tool to learn how to properly store a variety of food items.<\/p>\n\n<p>Hot tip from one of our supporters on Facebook: you can freeze tomatoes for later and then easily remove the skins to make a yummy pasta sauce.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large  caption-style-blue-overlay caption-alignment-center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/savethefood.com\/storage\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"436\" src=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-canada-stateless\/2020\/01\/ccf0baec-screen-shot-2020-01-07-at-12.08.23-pm-1024x436.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-28073\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-canada-stateless\/2020\/01\/ccf0baec-screen-shot-2020-01-07-at-12.08.23-pm-1024x436.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-canada-stateless\/2020\/01\/ccf0baec-screen-shot-2020-01-07-at-12.08.23-pm-300x128.png 300w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-canada-stateless\/2020\/01\/ccf0baec-screen-shot-2020-01-07-at-12.08.23-pm-768x327.png 768w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-canada-stateless\/2020\/01\/ccf0baec-screen-shot-2020-01-07-at-12.08.23-pm-1536x655.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-canada-stateless\/2020\/01\/ccf0baec-screen-shot-2020-01-07-at-12.08.23-pm-510x217.png 510w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-canada-stateless\/2020\/01\/ccf0baec-screen-shot-2020-01-07-at-12.08.23-pm.png 1830w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Freeze old bananas (and then actually make banana bread)<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n<p>Ok it\u2019s confession time: I\u2019ve definitely put past-their-prime bananas in the freezer with every intention of making banana bread and then (gasp!) never actually made the bread. I end up collecting so many bananas that eventually, they just end up in the compost anyway.<\/p>\n\n<p>Freezing something is only the first step in avoiding wasted food. When bananas are going off, stick them in the freezer and once you\u2019ve collected enough, actually make the banana bread or banana muffins.<\/p>\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Revive stale or wilted foods<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n<p>Celery at the back of your fridge drawer gone limp? Bread that\u2019s seen fresher days? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pinterest.ca\/GoodFoodChallenge\/tips-to-stop-wasting-food\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\"><strong>Try these tips and tricks<\/strong><\/a> for reviving food you thought was unsalvageable.<\/p>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image  caption-style-blue-overlay caption-alignment-center\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pinterest.ca\/GoodFoodChallenge\/tips-to-stop-wasting-food\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"501\" src=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-canada-stateless\/2020\/01\/d6594ddc-caf7427d986818aff99146bbbf7c77db.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-28076\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-canada-stateless\/2020\/01\/d6594ddc-caf7427d986818aff99146bbbf7c77db.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-canada-stateless\/2020\/01\/d6594ddc-caf7427d986818aff99146bbbf7c77db-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-canada-stateless\/2020\/01\/d6594ddc-caf7427d986818aff99146bbbf7c77db-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-canada-stateless\/2020\/01\/d6594ddc-caf7427d986818aff99146bbbf7c77db-339x340.jpg 339w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><figcaption>from thekitchn.com on Pinterest<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Compost scraps and organic waste<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n<p>When food waste ends up in landfills, it <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/news\/theworldpost\/wp\/2018\/07\/31\/food-waste\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>releases methane gas<\/strong><\/a> which is <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.edf.org\/climate\/methane-other-important-greenhouse-gas\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>84 times more potent than carbon dioxide<\/strong><\/a> over the first two years after its release.<\/p>\n\n<p>This is why it\u2019s so important to ensure any food that cannot be eaten goes into your <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.treehugger.com\/lawn-garden\/dos-and-donts-backyard-composting.html\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>backyard compost bin<\/strong><\/a> or your city\u2019s organics waste stream so it can properly decompose and turn back into soil (if your city doesn\u2019t have composting, you could start advocating that it adopt one).<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"events\">Parties, Events and Restaurants: <\/h2>\n\n<p>*<em>note this section was written pre-COVID-19. The advice in this section will be useful when social gatherings are once again safe.<\/em><\/p>\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Make a meal plan when cooking for groups of people<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n<p>It\u2019s easy to overbuy and overcook when cooking for more people than you\u2019re used to. If you\u2019re throwing a party or having friends and family over, scrutinize your guest list carefully and make a meal plan that suits the number of people you\u2019ll be feeding.<\/p>\n\n<p>Not sure how to do these calculations? There\u2019s an online tool for that. <a href=\"https:\/\/savethefood.com\/guestimator\/guests#guest-container\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\"><strong>Check out the Guest-imator<\/strong><\/a>. It will help you plan exactly how much food you need to prepare based on the number of guests you\u2019ll be having, how many leftovers you would like to have and what type of food you\u2019ll be preparing.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large  caption-style-blue-overlay caption-alignment-center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/savethefood.com\/guestimator\/guests#guest-container\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"440\" src=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-canada-stateless\/2020\/01\/1b02de76-screen-shot-2020-01-07-at-12.37.12-pm-1024x440.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-28084\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-canada-stateless\/2020\/01\/1b02de76-screen-shot-2020-01-07-at-12.37.12-pm-1024x440.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-canada-stateless\/2020\/01\/1b02de76-screen-shot-2020-01-07-at-12.37.12-pm-300x129.png 300w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-canada-stateless\/2020\/01\/1b02de76-screen-shot-2020-01-07-at-12.37.12-pm-768x330.png 768w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-canada-stateless\/2020\/01\/1b02de76-screen-shot-2020-01-07-at-12.37.12-pm-1536x660.png 1536w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-canada-stateless\/2020\/01\/1b02de76-screen-shot-2020-01-07-at-12.37.12-pm-2048x880.png 2048w, https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-canada-stateless\/2020\/01\/1b02de76-screen-shot-2020-01-07-at-12.37.12-pm-510x219.png 510w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Ask guests to bring reusable containers<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n<p>Whether it\u2019s a dinner party, a potluck or an event, if you\u2019re hosting and feeding a large group of people there\u2019s bound to be some leftovers.<\/p>\n\n<p>Ask guests to bring their own reusable containers and keep some on hand for those guests who forget to bring them. This way, you can send people home with any leftovers you feel you won\u2019t be able to polish off on your own.<\/p>\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Connect with organizations that will pick up leftover food<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n<p>Have you ever been to an event where lunch was provided and then witnessed the large amount of untouched food leftover that\u2019s headed for the bin?<\/p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/liftovers.ca\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\"><strong>LiftoversTO<\/strong><\/a> is a Toronto-based volunteer organization that works to connect perfectly good leftover food from such events to those who need it. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.b12give.ca\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Be One to Give (opens in a new tab)\">Be One to Give<\/a><\/strong> provides a similar service in Toronto.  Know of any other organizations like this? Let us know in the comments!<\/p>\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Listen to your stomach, not your eyes<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n<p>We\u2019ve all been there &#8211; you get to a party or an all-you-can-eat buffet and your eyes fall in love with the vast smorgasbord of delicious looking food available. You pile on as much as you can, but halfway through your plate, your stomach objects and reveals your eyes were playing tricks on your hunger level.<\/p>\n\n<p>Sometimes when we eat socially at an event, party or restaurant we put more on our plates or order more than we can actually eat. Start small and once you\u2019ve finished your first portion, reevaluate and go from there. This way you don\u2019t end up with more than you can eat.<\/p>\n\n<p>You can also eat a snack before going out to prevent intense hunger from driving you to over-order.<\/p>\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Bring a reusable container<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n<p>Bring your own reusable container so you can take home any leftovers to eat for lunch the next day. This way you avoid the wasteful single-use containers restaurants give out and you\u2019re probably more likely to reach for it the next day (it\u2019s easier to throw a reusable container in your bag to take with you than a flimsy styrofoam one, for example).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Look for restaurants on Feedback<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n<p>This is advice specific to those of you grabbing a bite out in Toronto, but maybe there are similar apps available in other parts of Canada (let us know in the comments!). <a href=\"https:\/\/www.feedbackapp.ca\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\"><strong>Feedback<\/strong><\/a> offers time-sensitive discounts at restaurants during off-peak times to help avoid all the wasted food that restaurants throw out at the end of the day.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Did you know our global food system accounts for as much as 37% of greenhouse gas emissions?<\/h2>\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-button aligncenter is-style-cta\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link\" href=\"https:\/\/act.gp\/2T3cnyq\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">TAKE THE GOOD FOOD CHALLENGE<\/a><\/div>\n\n<p><br><\/p>\n<div class=\"EmptyMessage\">Block content is empty. Check the block&#8217;s settings or remove it.<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>58% of all food produced in Canada \u2014 35.5 million tonnes \u2014 is lost or wasted every year. Globally, food waste is responsible for 8% of global GHGs. Let&#8217;s ensure the food we buy makes it onto our plates and stays out of landfills.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":71,"featured_media":28374,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"p4_og_title":"","p4_og_description":"[caption id=\"attachment_28355\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\"]<img class=\"size-medium wp-image-28355\" src=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-canada-stateless\/2020\/01\/adeb2668-gp0stp6iz-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"Recycling Food Waste in Shopping Centre in Brazil. \u00a9 Peter Caton \/ Greenpeace\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" \/> Disposing food waste for composting at Eldorado shopping centre.<br \/>Since 2012 the Shopping Eldorado invests in a composting project aiming to give eco-friendly destination to about 400 pounds of organic waste generated daily in their food courts.<br \/>The leftovers get enzymes that accelerate the composting process, remove the unpleasant odor and are transformed into fertilizer used in a garden on the roof of the Mall.<br \/>On site are produced vegetables and herbs free of pesticides and intended for direct employees of Shopping Eldorado.[\/caption]\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_28355\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"300\"]<img class=\"size-medium wp-image-28355\" src=\"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/static\/planet4-canada-stateless\/2020\/01\/adeb2668-gp0stp6iz-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"Recycling Food Waste in Shopping Centre in Brazil. \u00a9 Peter Caton \/ Greenpeace\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" \/> Disposing food waste for composting at Eldorado shopping centre.<br \/>Since 2012 the Shopping Eldorado invests in a composting project aiming to give eco-friendly destination to about 400 pounds of organic waste generated daily in their food courts.<br \/>The leftovers get enzymes that accelerate the composting process, remove the unpleasant odor and are transformed into fertilizer used in a garden on the roof of the Mall.<br \/>On site are produced vegetables and herbs free of pesticides and intended for direct employees of Shopping Eldorado.[\/caption]","p4_og_image":"","p4_og_image_id":"","p4_seo_canonical_url":"","p4_campaign_name":"not set","p4_local_project":"not set","p4_basket_name":"Food","p4_department":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2,3],"tags":[23,26,28],"p4-page-type":[16],"class_list":["post-28013","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-live-sustainably","category-nature","tag-climate","tag-food","tag-health","p4-page-type-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/canada\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28013","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/canada\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/canada\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/canada\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/71"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/canada\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28013"}],"version-history":[{"count":20,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/canada\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28013\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":51339,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/canada\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28013\/revisions\/51339"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/canada\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28374"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/canada\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28013"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/canada\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28013"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/canada\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28013"},{"taxonomy":"p4-page-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.greenpeace.org\/canada\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/p4-page-type?post=28013"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}