Some tips to avoid wasting food

DID you know that even wilted veg stuck at the back of your fridge can be brought back to life by giving it a short bath in a bowl of ice water?

Or that you should take supermarket cheese out of its plastic wrapper and keep it in greaseproof paper so that it can breathe and keep longer?

Here is a useful article from the NPR radio website in the US Don't Toss That Sour Milk! And Other Tips To Cut Kitchen Food Waste that gives many tips on avoiding food waste in your home. It points out that the US throws out 1.3billion pounds of food each year – that is $1,500 worth of waste from each family.

It also speaks to food scientist Dana Gunders on her book Waste-Free Kitchen Handbook to get some tips from the woman who found “America is losing up to 40% of Its food from farm to fork to landfill”

France is trying to slash its food waste total and plans to halve by 2025 the 1.2million tonnes it throws out on to landfills each year.

Figures show the average person in France throws out 20kg of food waste – including 7kg with the packaging unopened - costing about €400 per household a year.

This month’s Connexion has a four-page feature on recycling where we look at the ins and outs of the industry in France – a country that recycles only 21% of its rubbish. We also interview families who are trying to halve their bin waste – and a French woman who has become the guru of the Zero Waste movement in the US by cutting her family’s annual rubbish down so much it will fit in a small glass jar.

To get your copy of the October issue – out now in newsagents across France - use www.findthepressinFrance.com to find your nearest stockist – or click here to download a pdf version now for €3.50.

Read previous articles here:
France may embrace the ‘doggy bag’

Best before dates may be scrapped

Halve food waste by 2025 – govt