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Food. A lot of our time, money, self-image, social contacts, even childhood memories are bound up with food in some way. Unfortunately, food also plays a big role in the mounds of waste taken to your local landfill each and every day. Much -- if not most -- of this food-related waste could, and should, never even make it into your waste basket.
The simplest way to reduce food waste, of course, is to reduce the potential for waste right up front. Buy the kinds and amounts of food which you anticipate that you, and any likely eating companions, can consume in a reasonable period of time. Be imaginative with leftovers. Freeze excess items before they spoil. When some discards are unavoidable, consider using a garbage disposal or a compost pile. If you begin composting, be sure to check on recommended methods with the (City/County Waste Management Department), the library, garden center, or book store.
When eating out, order appropriately sized portions if there's a choice. Share items at places you know tend to have bigger portions than you can eat alone. Suggest that the restaurant not serve you a side dish if you know you don't want it. (Assure them that there will be other customers who are crazy about macaroni and cheese or those funky looking vegetables from outer space.) Encourage the manager or chef to offer variously sized portions -- or sharing -- if these options aren't available. Bring leftovers home in a "doggie bag" (preferably not a giant-sized nonrecyclable container), or, if you pride yourself on being the supreme waste preventer, bring your own doggie bag to the restaurant.
And don't forget to recycle any containers that might be left after food and beverages are consumed - for example, pickle, salsa, or peanut butter glass jars, aluminum or plastic soda containers, tin cans, or fiberboard boxes.
Finally, if you're going on a picnic or having a group in for a casual meal, try using reusable utensils or buying recycled paper products. This helps prevent waste and reduces the number of natural resources that we use in a ritual that most of us look forward to three times a day. |
| Author: Lee Young |
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Author Bio:
Maybe you don't have time to thumb through the quarterly catalog, which could be a great read with your morning coffee. If not, try CALMAX On-Line . Want to put a free ad in the CALMAX catalog, get on the mailing list or learn more? Call the California Integrated Waste Management Board at (916) 341-6603 or write the board at 1001 I Street, PO Box 4025, Sacramento, CA 95812-4025. |
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