South San Francisco, CA November 18, 2017
by Teresa Montgomery, Sustainability Manager for South San Francisco Scavenger Company
This time of year, many of us live by these words and unintentionally create a fantastic amount of holiday food waste—approximately 3 times as much as during the rest of the year. This is a colossal waste not just of the food but also of the resources used to produce it.
You can significantly reduce the amount of food waste your family creates by planning ahead for this year’s holiday meals. Follow these suggestions:
- Before you shop, determine how much food your guests will really eat. Need help? Use the “GUEST-IMATOR” found at savethefood.com.
- Stick to your shopping list. Avoid adding items or increasing quantities at the market.
- Create a plan for leftovers.
- Ask guests to bring reusable containers to fill with leftovers and take home.
- Have your own reusable containers ready to fill and store for a future meal.
- Collect recipes that use turkey carcasses, ham bones, green beans, potatoes, dinner rolls, and gravy. Some of the best recipes can be found by visiting bonappetit.com and typing “thanksgiving leftovers” into the search box.
- Donate any unopened canned or packaged foods to a local shelter or food bank. For information on donating to the Second Harvest Food Bank, visit www.shfb.org. This website also provides information on donating prepared foods and backyard produce!
- Place remaining food scraps as well as food-soiled paper in your green (or black) Organics cart. South San Francisco Scavenger Company will use it to create fuel and compost.
For more holiday waste reduction tips, follow South San Francisco Scavenger Company on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ssfscavenger.