Proper food storage not only allows you to prolong its shelf life but also gives its packaging a second life. Rather than tossing out milk cartons, bread tags, or ice cream tubs to landfills, let’s explore some creative and eco-friendly alternative uses for these seemingly disposable items.
Bread tags
Those little pieces of plastic with the best-before date stamped on them could do more good as:
Cord wrappers: Slimmer cords (think headphones or your phone charger) can be wrapped around and held firmly with the tag.
Key labels: A great way to tag your keys if you have many or multiple people with the same – put a name on it!
Kids crafts: When the holidays are on the horizon, snowmen’s faces can be painted on them.
Egg cartons
Store golf balls: Eggs and golf balls are essentially the same size, so cartons are the perfect storage space.
Mushroom foraging: This tip comes from mycologists. Many types of wild mushrooms can fit perfectly into an egg carton.
Seed starter: Fill the individual compartments with soil and seeds. Once your seedlings are ready to transplant, you can cut the carton into sections and plant them directly into the soil.
Painting projects: Egg cartons can be a quick and easy DIY palette for your next acrylic or watercolour masterpiece. It is also an excellent option for painting with kids for a little less mess.
Yogurt tubs (or any lidded tub)
The most obvious option is to treat these tubs like Tupperware. These are great if:
You have leftovers to share with dinner guests (and don’t have to worry about getting your container back).
You have something you’d like to freeze (just label the tub to remember what’s in there!).
You want to start sprouting seeds to transfer into the garden.
Clamshell fruit containers
Seed starter: Cut off the lid and use it to catch water dripping from the other half, which contains your seeds and soil.
Bonus storage: Wash and dry the container and you’ll have extra storage for art supplies (the transparent plastic makes it easier to get the colours you need), baked goods or sandwiches.
Bonus: pop tabs (or from other canned beverages)
The March of Dimes Canada runs a donation program for pop tabs (drop off only in their national office in Toronto). Other local organizations or chapters will run programs like this as well. The pop tabs generally go toward making wheelchairs for children.
The next time you finish that loaf of bread or gallon of milk, think twice before tossing the packaging into the trash or recycling bin. With a little imagination and creativity, you can turn these common food packaging items into useful and unique treasures that will not only benefit you but also the environment.
“Giving Tuesday is a global movement unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world.”
GivingTuesday.ca
Started in the US in 2012, Giving Tuesday was brought to Canada a year after by CanadaHelps, GIV3 and several other founding partners. The simple idea—a day that encourages people to do good—has since become a movement in over 80 countries. It serves as a counterbalance to Black Friday and Cyber Monday – the consumerism that often precedes the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. Regardless of the charity supported and its specific efforts, the momentum of giving is the focus. This year’s Giving Tuesday falls on November 28.
Why is this day important?
Giving Tuesday is a day that highlights the power of collective action. A small act of kindness can go a long way. GivingTuesday, as a cross-country organization, focuses on how simple it can be for individuals, communities, and businesses alike to improve the well-being of others. Acts that may not seem all that impactful can add up, and when the intent is to show the value of giving, no matter how great or small, positive change transpires.
How is Giving Tuesday observed?
Charities, businesses, local community groups and individuals participating in Giving Tuesday all have one thing in common: They are committed to creating a positive change.
On this Giving Tuesday, we invite you to make a tangible difference in the lives of people facing food insecurity across Canada. The past one year was difficult: Persistent inflation and affordability, combined with the climate crisis, made a warm healthy meal increasingly out of reach for many Canadians. Millions turned to non-profits to meet those needs.
In response, Second Harvest rescued and redistributed 74.4 million pounds of food – surpassing all previous records – because of supporters like you. We partnered with more than 4,400 social service organizations to reach 4.8 million people, serving an average of 205,000 meals a day.
While we are proud of the impact we have made, we know there is still so much more to be done. The unwavering commitment from our network of donors, partners and volunteers will continue to empower us in the fight against hunger and food waste.
Thank you for helping us fill plates with not only nutritious food but also hope and happiness this holiday season.
Composting is the fifth tier of the EPA’s Food Recovery Hierarchy. It’s a great way to reduce food waste and build a circular ecosystem in your backyard. Composting, simply put, is the decomposition of food waste and other organic materials mixed into a repurposed fertilizer. It provides excellent nutrient benefits to the soil you combine it with, thus improving the quality of growth in the garden.
Don’t throw away food scraps like vegetable peels, egg shells or coffee grounds! Follow the tips below and compost them instead.
Benefits of composting for the planet
Reduces landfill waste—by turning your trash into organic treasure, you’re putting your waste to good use.
Lowers your carbon footprint—a study found thatcomposting organic waste vs. sending it to the landfill can reduce more than 50 per cent of carbon dioxide-equivalent greenhouse gas emissions.
Conserves water—composting retains moisture from the waste, which then (eventually) adds moisture to the garden.
How to start your own compost
The first step is finding the best compost bin for your lifestyle and where to place it. This designation also allows you to consider what composting method you will pursue.
Outdoors
The main type of composting outdoors is called aerobic decomposition, which is the decomposition of organic materials in the presence of oxygen (and the most common type found in nature.)
Hot or open air composting is a pile built up in your yard, ideally in a bin for maintenance. Usually, placing a compost bin in a farther corner of the yard where there is overall less foot traffic is best (because it will also attract the likes of bees and wasps.) And, of course, consider the odour that could waft from the compost bin. Find a location that is both convenient and tolerable.
Another option is trench composting (also called in-ground or direct,) where you dig a deep hole in your yard and begin to dump food and yard waste into it. Simple, and no fuss beyond the initial dig, though having a covered bin is generally a little more manageable.
Vermicomposting leverages the power of earthworms, which speed up aerobic decomposition. This means they increase the amount of oxygen in the waste pile, which is what outdoor composting is all about.
With an outdoor setup, it is recommended to “turn” the compost with a shovel or even your hands to increase the oxygen flow.
Indoors
Balcony, patio, and rooftop gardeners, you can also rejoice! There are new indoor compost bins on the market that are suitable for all different types of living arrangements.
Those who have compost/green bins in the kitchen can also dump their bins into the outdoor compost on a schedule, as you would take out the garbage.
Once you’ve determined the best bin and placement, indoors or outdoors, here are some ways to make your composting efforts effective.
Compost by colour
Brown materials (eggshells, dry leaves, wood chips, etc.) create carbon, increasing oxygen flow in the pile.
Green (coffee grounds, fruit & veggie waste, weeds) supply the nutrients and are particularly high in nitrogen, all of which help plants, fruits and veggies thrive.
Knowing the basics and the environmental benefits of composting helps guide you toward this healthy habit to combat food waste.
Editor’s Note: Food waste isn’t just a Canadian problem – it’s a global issue with devastating impacts on climate change and hunger. All over the world, countries struggle to ensure good food ends up on plates instead of landfills, and many have developed unique strategies to face this crisis head-on.
In the next few months, The Harvest Journal will explore food waste policies around the world and highlight what different countries are doing to prevent and reduce waste, build more sustainable and resilient food systems, protect our planet and finally put an end to food waste.
In 2019, the Japanese government introduced the Act on Promotion of Food Loss and Waste Reduction to prevent still-edible food from being discarded. The law promotes understanding of food waste and stipulates a basic policy to reduce food loss and waste. All levels of government, businesses and consumers are encouraged to work together to tackle this challenge as a national movement. October is set as the Food Loss Reduction Month.
Some key initiatives include:
Extending the best before date on consumer products
Recycling food wastes into fertilizer and feed
Creating business incentives for those in the food supply chain
Support food bank activities
Japan also has a global reputation for its innovative and minimal lifestyle. The culture adopts the Mottainaimindset, meaning “don’t waste what is valuable.” The Act on Promotion of Food Loss and Waste Reduction supports the Mottainai way of being by promoting sustainability and repurposing of materials. From the home to public places, the act will have to evolve with the changes in demographics to fight climate change, reduce food waste and support an aging population. Japan is on the precipice of significant change. However, culturally, it is something they are prepared for.
In line with the government’s direction, many Japanese businesses have taken steps to reduce the amount of avoidable food waste. Lawson, one of the country’s largest convenience store operators, uses an AI software to inform its decision to discount a product based on a specific store’s sales, delivery times and weather conditions to improve its chances of being sold.
At an individual level, Matsumoto City in the Nagano Prefecture ran the “Let’s Eat Up Everything! 30/10” Campaign, which encourages people to reduce leftovers by remaining seated and enjoy eating for 30 minutes after a toast and 10 minutes before the end of a meal.
Even spending time auditing your food waste can help reduce the amount of food loss by about 20 per cent, according to findings from a project by The Consumer Affairs Agency in Tokushima Prefecture.
Elsewhere in Japan, there are also projects that have seen food scraps turned into concrete, lard from ramen used to power public transit and even furniture made from egg shells. Read more in this article from the Washington Post.
Recent Comments