Previously, we talked about the implications of food wastage and it’s not good news at all. Well, today we’re going to talk about how YOU can do your part to reduce food wastage. First of all, let’s establish the fact that Singaporeans are very wasteful! Don’t believe me? Take a look at this poster by the Singapore Environment Council (SEC) and you’ll definitely agree with me.
Take a look at the numbers! Our collective society wastes S$342 million worth of food every year! I’m pretty sure everyone has a better way of spending that money besides throwing it onto the trash.
Okay enough bad news, now it’s time for us to take responsibility for our actions. How are WE going to change things? A quick search online yields so many different ways to reduce food wastage, but many of these methods aren’t very simple or applicable to our local context. So we’ve decided to summarise and consolidate a few points for you to try out yourself.
1. Plan your shopping trips
Did you know that the placement of products in a supermarket are all planned. They’re positioned in such a way that entices you to buy extra stuff. There’s a reason why snacks are always so close to the checkout counters. That’s how they get you to spend more! So if you don’t want to get caught in that trap, you need to plan your trips. Know what you need and get what you need, don’t be distracted by all the advertising!
2. Know the difference between Best Before (BB) and Expiration Date (ED)
BB means the food will still be edible beyond that date, but it won’t be its best. The flavour and texture may not be the same. ED means the food should not be consumed beyond that date. Most of us don’t understand the difference between BB and ED, so we end up throwing foods that are past their BB dates. This all adds up to unnecessary wastage!
3. Don’t be too particular with your fruits and vegetables
Sometimes your fruits and vegetables aren’t the prettiest and don’t seem very appetising. As with all things natural, it’s rare for them to be perfectly symmetrical. Just because they don’t look the best doesn’t mean they won’t taste the same. Don’t throw these fruits or vegetables away! Just eat them!
4. Store your food correctly
Most foods have labels on them indicating how they should be stored. It’s common for us to store our foods incorrectly, making them go bad or mouldy and forcing us to throw it away. All this wastage can be avoided if we just check the labels on foods to see how they should be stored.
So these are 4 very simple ways for us to reduce food wastage and save some money in the process. All it takes is a bit of conscientiousness. It’s really that simple! We really hope that you guys will remember this and implement it. You’ll be surprised at the amount of money you’ll save and how much you’ll help the environment.
References
TODAYonline. 2020. Every Singaporean Household Throws Away An Average S$258 Worth Of Food A Year: Study. [online] Available at: <https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/every-singaporean-household-throws-away-average-s258-worth-food-year-study> [Accessed 9 July 2020].
Healthline. 2020. 20 Easy Ways To Reduce Your Food Waste. [online] Available at: <https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/reduce-food-waste> [Accessed 13 July 2020].
Dou, Z., Ferguson, J., Galligan, D., Kelly, A., Finn, S. and Giegengack, R., 2016. Assessing U.S. food wastage and opportunities for reduction. Global Food Security, 8, pp.19-26.
