October 10, 2022

If you’ve ever found food leftover from last night’s dinner in your fridge and lacked enthusiasm about eating it, you’re not alone. In a recent survey for SWACO, local families indicated that they most commonly throw away spoiled produce and leftovers at home. In the same survey, a majority (83%) of Central Ohioans also shared that they’re concerned about the amount of food wasted in our community, and rightly so – Franklin County sends nearly a million pounds of food waste to the county landfill every single day.

Eating leftovers instead of throwing them in the trash is a simple way to reduce your reliance on the landfill, not to mention the amount of money you will save. It’s easy to save money and avoid food waste when you commit to eating your leftovers. These simple tips will get you started on the path to saving more than food.

LABEL FOODS AND LEFTOVERS:

Label your leftovers with the dates they need to be eaten by. Putting foods that need to be eaten quickly within eyesight or at the front of your fridge will also help ensure they are eaten.

MAKE A MEAL PLAN & SHOP WITH A LIST:

Planning ahead can reduce the amount of money you spend on food, help make sure you actually eat what you buy, and make your shopping trips much less stressful. Check out resources like Save the Food’s Meal Prep Mate that can make planning even easier.

MAKE LEFTOVERS NEW AGAIN:

Discover recipes and other tips to give those leftovers new life. Check out this collection of leftover recipes to make your leftovers new again.

Together we can save more than food and make a difference for central Ohio.