Food is wasted across the supply chain, but is most prevalent at the consumer level, particularly in the home. ReFED estimates that 35% of all food waste occurs in households, with an additional 23% occurring in retail and food service establishments. Individuals have the potential to make a big impact when it comes to preventing food waste. Below are some strategies that consumers can implement to reduce their food waste.  

  • Shop Intentionally 
    • Make a plan before heading to the grocery store. Think about the meals you plan to cook that week, make a detailed shopping list, and stick to it.  Unplanned food purchases are more likely to be wasted.  
    • Know your habits. When planning your meals for the week, be realistic about how many nights you will cook dinner at home. Include take out night, leftover night, or frozen pizzas in your plan. Do not buy ingredients for a meal you will not cook.
    • Eat seasonally and buy local produce. Local produce is often harvested at peak freshness and travels a shorter distance before making it to your plate. 
    • Rescue "imperfect" produce. Uniquely shaped produce often gets left behind on grocery store shelves, despite having the same taste and nutritional value as the surrounding produce. 
  • Practice Smart Food Storage 
    • Not all produce should be stored in the same way. Some fruit, like apples, emit ethylene gas when they ripen. Ethylene gas will quicken the ripening of other produce, meaning that it is best to store apples alone. There are many resources that provide information on proper storage. Here are two easy to use examples:
    • Organize your fridge using a "first in, first out" method. Put the food that needs to be used soon at the front of your fridge. When leftovers and produce get lost at the back of the fridge, they are more likely to become waste. 
    • Use your freezer. If something is about to go bad, freezing that food can extend it longevity. Many foods will last months or even years if stored properly in the freezer. 
  • Learn the Labels 
    • Except for infant formulas, date labels on food packaging are not regulated by the federal government. Date labels are an indicator of potential food quality not food safety. Before throwing out food that is past its date, use your senses to determine if that food is still okay to eat. Look, smell, taste- don't waste!
    • Many grocery stores offer discounts on food items that are being sold close to the date on their label. Check your local grocery store to see if they offer any discounts on food that is near its date. 
  • Practice First In, First Out in your Kitchen
    • Take inventory of your food. If there is something that is about to go bad, make a plan for how you will incorporate it into one of your next meals. Online tools, like the Meal-o-Matic from the Dr. Yum Project, can help you create recipes that are crafted specifically to use up what you have on hand.
    • Love your leftovers. Using clear container and labels helps prevent leftovers from getting lost at the back of your fridge. If you are not a fan of leftovers, do your best to cook only what you need, or explore ways to reimagine your leftovers into a new dish. 
  • Compost
    • Composting your food scraps keeps food waste out of the landfill and creates a valuable soil amendment that can be used in local agriculture. Organics collection services or drop-off locations may exist in your area. To learn more about composting collections in Virginia, visit the Virginia Excess Food Opportunities Map or Litterless. 
    • Best Practices for Composting: 
      • Before you start collecting organic waste, make sure that you understand what is accepted by the facility that will be processing your organics. Some composters only accept fruit and vegetable waste, whereas others accept all forms of organic waste, including meat, dairy, and compostable food service packaging. Know before you throw.
      • If accepted where you compost, compostable food service packaging should be certified by a reliable 3rd party such as BPI. Products that are only labeled as biodegradable are not compostable. 
      • If you have question about what organic material is accepted, check with your composter. 
    • Backyard Composting