We hope these recipes will provide a good, healthy alternative to some of the most common foods found in plastic packaging.
Did you know food packaging is one of the most common causes of plastic pollution worldwide?
Did you know that 31.9% of all waste produced in the average american household is food??? That means that around $1,600 is wasted on food each year per household! That's crazy right? Well the good news is you can easily make a difference in your own household and therefore in the greater community by taking some easy steps to reduce your output of food waste. Here are a few things you can do:
1. Buy only what you know you can eat. Often times people will buy food in huge quantities for a really cheap price and although it may seem like a great deal, most of the time it part of it ends up getting wasted because it went bad, didn't taste good, etc.
2. Eat the old stuff. Just because you've had it for longer doesn't mean that it doesn't taste good! If you see a potato on the verge of sprouting, milk that is about to expire, or bread that is almost stale, use it right away! Put it in a soup, make yogurt, or find some way to not let it go to waste. It's really not that hard as long as you just put your mind to it!
3. If all else fails, compost it (or if you have chickens, pigs, guinea pigs, etc, feed it to them)!
There are many resources you can find such as No Food Left Behind or Anne-Marie Bonneau's book The Zero Waste Chef that provide helpful tips on how to reduce your food waste as well!
Why use plastic when there is an amazing alternative? Jars are an easy, (and aesthetically pleasing) way to step away from plastic. You can buy them almost anywhere and in a wide range of prices. A great place to look would be somewhere like Craigslist to find affordable ones.
Jars can also be used for a huge variety of things, from food to cosmetics, most things found in plastic can be replaced in a jar! Another great way to use jars is to can food in them. Although aluminum cans aren't plastic, they still create waste and if that can be avoided then might as well take advantage! One last plastic alternative though not a jar, is a Stasher bag. This awesome invention is a silicone bag, meant to replace the standard plastic bag and you can find them in may stores across the United States as well as online at stasherbag.com.
Shopping in bulk is one of the easiest ways to cut down on plastic. Plastic packaging from food products is one of the most common causes of plastic pollution worldwide. Everything from straws to plastic bags, candy wrappers to cheese wrapping, most food products come packaged in plastic. However, like most things, there is an alternative to almost any food packaging found in plastic, you just have to look for it. There are bulk sections in almost any store you go to. You know those big bins filled with dried beans, rice, and sometimes candy? Or the fresh vegetables and fruit? Those are the bulk sections! All you have to do is bring your reusable bag or jar and fill it up (make sure your local store allows you to bring your own bags though, there might be restrictions), and if you can't find what you are looking for in bulk, try to find it in glass! Go shopping with the adults in your family, make it fun! Tell them what you learned, they will love it (and thank you for helping).
Don't know where to shop? Check out this Bulk Finder made by Bea Johnson, author of Zero Waste Home to find a store near you.
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