Reducing food waste: Simple kitchen strategies for Earth Day

Tracy Dempsey

Submitted photo

As Earth Day approaches, it’s a perfect time to consider how our daily habits impact the planet. Food waste is a significant environmental concern, with Americans discarding nearly 40% of their food supply annually.

Did you know that Arizona was ranked the most wasteful state in a 2022 analysis, with the highest share of wasted food and the lowest share of recycled food? But it doesn’t have to be. Here are four practical ways to reduce waste in your kitchen:

Plan your meals and shop strategically 

Before heading to the grocery store, take inventory of what you already have and plan meals around those ingredients. Create a detailed shopping list and stick to it, avoiding impulse purchases that often end up forgotten in the back of the refrigerator. Consider buying “ugly” produce — fruits and vegetables with cosmetic imperfections that are perfectly edible but often discarded by retailers.

Participating in a local CSA — Community Supported Agriculture — program is a good way to eat with the season and to get just enough produce for the week, reducing the potential for waste. 

Transform leftovers into new meals 

Yesterday’s roasted vegetables can become today’s soup or frittata. Stale bread makes excellent croutons, breadcrumbs or bread pudding. Chicken bones and vegetable trimmings create flavorful stocks. Even cake scraps can be repurposed into cake pops or trifles.

Master proper food storage 

Learn which fruits and vegetables should be refrigerated and which should not. Store herbs with stems in water like flowers to extend their life. Use clear containers so you can see what’s inside, preventing food from being forgotten. Freeze items approaching their expiration date — overripe bananas for smoothies, vegetable scraps for future stocks or unused herbs in olive oil. Keep a roll of masking tape and a marker on a string in the kitchen for easy labeling of leftovers that you freeze and/or refrigerate. Remember to include the date, too.

Start composting 

Even with the best efforts, some food waste is inevitable. Create a simple compost system using eggshells, coffee grounds, fruit peels and vegetable scraps. If space is limited, investigate community composting programs or countertop composting systems. The Mill food recycler (I named mine “Chonky”) lets you reduce the food waste into a compost that you may use or that can be picked up and redistributed to Valley farmers and growers. These are available through a collaboration between R. City and Mill.

By implementing these simple strategies, we can significantly reduce our environmental footprint while saving money and enjoying more creative meals.

Editor’s note: Tracy Dempsey is chef/owner of Tracy Dempsey Originals and ODV Wines in Tempe. Please send your comments to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.