43. Use The Leftovers
We can help alleviate the disparity of food distribution by wasting less. This can be done by planning and using up what you have. For this week's #52climatesolutions we ask you to use the leftovers.
One in every five bags of groceries ends up in landfill. Organic matter in landfill does not decompose properly but releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas. When you scrape your dinner plate into the bin, it may seem like a relatively benign action, but food waste constitutes approximately 6% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Such an unnecessary waste of a valuable resource.
It seems that more people can afford to waste food, in part because of the relatively low prices of food (compared with any time in history). High levels of disposable income (especially amongst the wealthier demographic), means there is a low consequence of wasting food - if food is wasted, then people can just go out and buy more. In contrast, millions of people go hungry.
We can help alleviate the disparity of food distribution by wasting less. This can be done by planning ahead (we’ll cover this soon), and by using up what you have. For this week's #52climatesolutions, we ask you to use the leftovers. As Lindsay Miles said in her terrific book ‘The Less Waste No Fuss Kitchen’, there IS such a thing as a free lunch, and it’s leftovers! Leftovers can be created unintentionally when you or your family don’t eat all that you prepared. They can also be the scraps left in food preparation. Rather than disposing of this food, think of ways you can use it later – this might be as simple as reheating food, or adding a fresh salad or rice to a leftover curry. You could use leftover veggies in a stir-fry, frittata, or stew. You may intentionally cook a bit more food than usual so that you have another meal leftover – cook once, eat twice!
The festive season sees a big increase in food wastage, so now is a good time to think about how you will ensure all your food gets eaten. Perhaps grazing platters for a few days and a well earned rest for the cook. Maybe a Boxing Day celebration to share the leftovers of your Christmas feast. Or a plate delivered to a neighbour who’d appreciate a meal. Maybe you’ll use veggie scraps to make stock. Or perhaps you’ll make room in your freezer and savour the flavours of that special meal again, in the new year. Make that thinking a habit, and take it through the next year, so that food waste is a thing of the past.
Much love from us,
Lauren & Oberon. xx