Consumers
Food waste by consumers accounts for the largest amount of food waste by sector. Reduction techniques include meal planning, proper storage techniques and education regarding food labels.
Meal planning helps reduce excess purchasing and allows for opportunities to use leftover ingredients. Resources like Save the Food and other sites have tools for organizing meal prep.
Food storage
Properly storing food keeps it fresh longer. Below are guides on fridge organization and storage by food as well as ideas for sprucing up leftovers.
- New South Wales EPA Fridge Storage video
- Save the Food Storage Guide
- FoodKeeper App
- Eureka Recycling A-Z Storage Guide
- Hennepin County Fridge Storage Diagram
- Love Your Leftovers webpage
- Foods & Recipes
Food labels
Food labels lead to a lot of food waste. With the exception of baby formulas, the date listed on a product is not an indication of safety, and is an arbitrary date set by the manufacturer. The date is an indicator of quality, not safety. Use your best judgment (sight, smell, taste) when assessing food rather than relying on the date.