World Environment Day 2013: Tips to reduce waste : Compost kitchen waste

Thursday, July 10, 2025

World Environment Day 2013: Tips to reduce waste

Tips to reduce food waste

According to FAO, nearly 1.3 billion tonnes of food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted globally, per year.

During each stage of the food supply chain (starting from production, processing, distribution, consumption to disposal), limited natural resources are used up and greenhouse gases are emitted, which contributes to climate change.

Loss and wastage of food are present in all stages of the food supply chain due to unfavourable weather conditions, pest infestations, and usage of machinery in harvesting, spoilage due to inappropriate transport, handling and storage, packaging damage, stock management inefficiencies, marketing strategies, over-purchasing, poor preparation, or incorrect serving sizes, etc.

Reduction of food waste is favourable not only for consumers and businesses alike, but for our planet as a whole too.

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Prevention

Pre-consumer waste can be avoided by introducing efficient agricultural practices, investment in infrastructure and transportation, good hygienic practices by all food chain operators, better planning by businesses to reduce wastage, etc.

We, as consumers, can reduce food waste output at points-of-purchase and by taking steps to correct our wasteful habits. Here are some tips to minimise food waste:

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Make a plan and stick to it

People usually buy more food than is actually needed, so plan your menu for the week ahead carefully before shopping for grocery. Check your pantry and fridge and write down the items you need before you head out. Stick to your list because many a time, people end up putting more food in their shopping cart simply because they weren’t able to resist the attractive offers at grocery stores.

Photo credit: AP

Store away!

Organise your food cupboards and fridge as you would your closet. Clean the veggies and fruits and use specific containers before storing them in the fridge. Place the older food items in your cupboards and fridge in the front and store the new ones towards the back. Keep your fridge temperature between 1 and 5 degrees Celsius for food to stay fresh for longer duration.

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Reduce your portion

Serve food in smaller amounts so that you can finish off what’s on the plate. While eating out, place your order from the appetizer menu or for a small-sized portion.

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Don’t throw away leftover or surplus food

Get creative with leftover foods and create new recipes. Give away untouched and safe food to those who are in need. Surplus seasonal produce can be preserved in the freezer or canned.

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Compost kitchen waste

Food dumped in landfills produces methane gas, which is more potent than carbon dioxide in contributing to global warming. The United States alone throws away 30% of all food, worth USD 48.3 billion, each year, accounting for more than 20% of all methane emissions. So, saving food not only saves our money but also reduces our carbon footprint. People living in the city can find it a bit tricky to compost food scraps, but you can do it nonetheless. Some cities around the world have taken up the initiative to encourage home composting. If your city doesn’t have one, you can still compost and grow a garden on your balcony or use your compost in someone else’s garden.

Photo credit: www.inhabitat.com

Compiled by Philaso Kaping