By taking simple steps before and after holiday meals, residents can save money at the grocery store and reduce the consequences of wasted food
VANCOUVER – When preparing to gather for a holiday meal consider this: Clark County generates an average 35,000 tons of edible food waste each year. Tossing food in the garbage not only wastes money, but when food reaches landfills, it contributes to greenhouse gas emissions that intensify climate change.
Small changes can have a big impact. By taking simple steps before and after holiday meals, residents can save money at the grocery store and reduce the consequences of wasted food.
- Simplify shopping: Food waste prevention starts at the grocery store. Avoid overbuying food by taking stock of what’s already available in the cupboards and using an online tool like “Guest-imator” to determine how much food is needed based on the number of expected guests.
- Celebrate leftovers: Send guests home with leftovers in reusable containers. Use leftovers to create new culinary combinations, such as using mashed potatoes to make shepherd’s pie, adopting cranberry sauce as a festive topping for oatmeal, or boiling bones to create nutrient-rich bone broth for winter soups and stews. Freezing leftovers in air-tight containers can preserve the flavors of the holiday season for months.
- Store properly: Properly store groceries to minimize spoilage. Store dry goods in labeled air-tight containers. Store onions and apples separate from other foods (they emit a gas that makes other foods spoil faster). And whenever possible, purchase local and in-season produce which often lasts longer since it requires less transportation time.
- Compost scraps: Composting food scraps prevents bad odors and messes in kitchen garbage, returns beneficial nutrients to the soil, replaces the use of synthetic fertilizers, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
- Compost at the curb: Waste Connections customers in the cities of Vancouver and Ridgefield who have curbside organics service can put food scraps into their carts.
- Compost drop-offs: All residents can drop off food waste for free at a We Compost Community Hub location. Find locations on the We Compost Community Hubs webpage.
For more food waste prevention tips, visit the Clark County Green Neighbors website.
Information provided by Clark Co. WA Communications.
Also read:
- GoFundMe Spotlight: Vancouver man raising money to buy warm clothing for the homeless
Vancouver resident Cameron Murray is raising money through GoFundMe to purchase jackets and socks for the homeless, inspired by the life and struggles of his late brother Shelby. - Residents encouraged to reduce holiday waste by recycling natural Christmas trees
Clark County residents have multiple options to recycle natural Christmas trees after the holidays, helping reduce landfill waste and create reusable mulch. - County Elections Office closed Dec. 24-25
The Clark County Elections Office will be closed Dec. 24 and Dec. 25 and will reopen Dec. 26 with regular business hours. - Opinion: The unpreferred and unaffordable Interstate Bridge replacement proposal
Rep. John Ley argues that the Interstate Bridge Replacement proposal is unpreferred, unaffordable, and failing to address congestion, cost transparency, and community concerns. - POLL: If project costs continue to rise, what should lawmakers do with the I-5 Bridge replacement plan?
This poll asks readers what lawmakers should do with the I-5 Bridge replacement plan as costs rise and key decisions remain unresolved. - Clark County mourns loss of hometown hero and humanitarian Greg Biffle
Clark County is mourning Greg Biffle, the Camas High School graduate and NASCAR champion remembered not only for his racing career but for his humanitarian work and disaster relief efforts. - Opinion: IBR still holding and lying about coming billions in cost overruns
Joe Cortright argues that Interstate Bridge Replacement officials are deliberately delaying the release of an updated cost estimate that he says could push the project toward $10 billion.
