Food waste is a $20 billion problem in Australia, it is more important than ever to work towards minimising food waste and protecting our environment for future generations. Each small change today has a big impact tomorrow. Here are 5 ways you can be environmentally friendly in the kitchen this July.
1. Keep an ‘eat me first’ bin in the fridge
The most effective way to waste less food is by eating what you buy. One easy way to reduce food waste from your fridge is by keeping food that needs to be eaten in a designated area. This will ensure every member of your household will know where to look first when it’s time to cook or eat.
Also, be sure to keep FreshPaper in the ‘eat me first’ bin to extend the life of the produce for as long as possible.
We have created a sign for your ‘eat me first’ bin or designated area in your fridge to make it that much easier.
2. Place used lemon wedges in the top rack of the dishwasher for sparkly clean dishes
Next time you’re ready to do a load of dishes, slip a lemon wedge in with your wash, it doesn’t even have to be freshly sliced—it can be an already-juiced wedge. It should sit on the top rack of your dishwasher, or in the cutlery container, make sure it doesn’t move around. Then, run your dishwasher as you normally would.
When the cycle is finished, you’ll open up your dishwasher to find that your dishes are more sparkly clean than ever. Plus, the lemon leaves behind a very faint smell, adding some extra freshness.
Also, this doesn’t replace dishwashing powder or tablets, run your cycle in conjunction with the lemon slice and dishwashing powder/tablets.
3. Let banana peels sit in water then use that water as plant fertilizer
Bananas are mineral-rich and recycling the peels back into your garden saves money and returns these nutrients to the soil, benefiting your plants. Bananas are rich in minerals including: Potassium, Phosphorus and Calcium.
Soak two to three banana skins in roughly 600ml of water for a few days. The minerals will leach into the water, which you can then use as it is for your plants, with no need to dilute. Give the soaked peels to your worms or put it in the compost.
4. Freeze herbs in olive oil
A little food hack for any leftover herbs you don’t know what to do with.
Pick the leaves of the fresh herbs, add them to an ice cube tray, cover with olive oil and freeze.
You will have an immediate flavour booster for sauces, soups, roasts and to cook meats. These flavour enhancers will be a valuable asset to your freezer.
5. Store potatoes with an apple to prevent sprouting
Apples produce ethylene gas, and ethylene prevents potatoes from sprouting but also keeps them fresh and firm.
To keep potatoes fresher longer, loosely store them in a cool, dry, dark place with FreshPaper. Also, avoid keeping onions nearby as they cause potatoes to sprout and spoil quickly!
Other Ways To Be Environmentally Friendly
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