Category: Community

15 ways to Reduce Food Waste

It is essential that we all reduce food waste whether as producers, retailers or consumers. There are economic impacts as well environmental impacts  ranging from food poverty to emission of methane gas from landfills.

We can help reduce these negative impact by considering how we shop, eat and store our food. These are 15 simple ways we can reduce food waste and protect our environment.

  • Plan your meals

Plan your meals and the portions on your plate so that eat just enough and have nothing left on your plate

  • Keep fridge at the right temperature

Keep your fridge at the right temperature. The fridge should be cool enough so liquids like Milk or food with a lot of water in them keep for longer

  • Clear out your pantry

Decide a few times in a month not to do any grocery shopping but to eat what you have in your cupboards

  • Make a shopping list

Make a shopping list of all the foods you need or want. Doing this ensures you don’t go trigger happy and end buying what you don’t need.

  • Best before or use by date

Best before date and use-by date are not the same thing.  Most foods with an expired best before is thrown out while still perfectly edible.

  • Make a meal out of juice pulp.

What do you do with the pulp from the fruits and vegetables? Why not make a meal or two out of them?

  • Create a meal from leftovers

Plan your next meal based on leftovers. If you have the left over chicken curry you had with rice. You pair it days later with Roast potatoes or chips.

  • Donate food

Why not donate any excess uncooked foods items to food banks and homeless shelters

  • Composting

Food scraps should be turned into compost. Your garden or allotment will thank you.

  • Store food properly

Not all foods are created equal. Bread keeps longer out of the fridge than in the fridge. Freeze foods before its best before date.

  • Pickle or dehydrate

Large amounts of berries? Why not make jam? You can also pickle your vegetables. Dehydrate meats and fish and then hydrate to use in recipes.

  • Ugly veggies taste just as good

Buy ugly or wonky fruits or vegetables. They taste just as good, is just as nutritious and some priced lower.

  • Take home restaurant leftovers

If eating at a restaurant and you don’t finish your meal, ask to take your leftover meal home. It will probably end up in the bin if you don’t

  • Buy 1 get 1 free

Do not be tempted with supermarket offers. You will end up buying what you don’t need which will end up in the bin.

  • Buy loose

Opt for loose individual food items rather than a pack. Buy one loose tomato if one is what you need rather than a pack of 6.

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Looking to put together a care package for homeless people, here is a checklist of what to include and helpful tips

Homeless care package checklist

Want to put together a homeless care package for a homeless person and not sure what you should include.

The reason why you can’t just include anything is because of practicality.

A homeless person doesn’t have a fridge, shelf or facilities that exist in a house.

For this reason, perishable foods should not be included in care package instead add foods or snacks with long shelf life.

The size of the items also matter. For example, a travel size pack of tissues is better than a family size box of tissues

If you want to give items of clothing, consider winter clothing such as scarfs, hats, gloves etc

Items of toiletries such as razors, shampoo,  hand wipes, a toothbrush, toothpaste, lip balms etc will always be needed.

20 Homeless care package checklist

  • Water bottle
  • Cereal bar
  • Warm socks
  • Dried food snacks
  • Food vouchers
  • Hand wipes
  • Packet of tissues
  • Tooth paste and tooth brush
  • Sugar free chewing gum
  • Lip balm
  • Plaster
  • Gloves
  • Hand lotion
  • Portable first aid kit
  • Winter hat
  • Sanitary pads
  • Scarf
  • Deodorant
  • Razor
  • Local resource guide

There isn’t a formula to come up with what goes in a homeless care package but if you put your self in the shoes of a homeless person, it would come easily.

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Tips for putting together your homeless care package

  • Put your package together considering the change in season. During winter, warm socks, hats and lip balms are essential. During summer, a sunblock is a great idea.
  • Hygiene items are essential but avoid including items that have alcohol in them.
  • Non perishable food items like crackers, peanut butter and especially water in hot weather.
  • Have a care package party. Invite friends and family to donate items.
  • A local resource guide that has information that would be beneficial to a homeless person would be very useful. It should include information about soup kitchens, homeless shelters and charities that focus their services on homeless people.
  • Remember, they people just like and deserve to have their dignity intact. Don’t just drop your care package and run. If you can try to have a conversation or at least acknowledge them in some way.

List of Homeless Charities in the UK

In your care package, you may include a list of local homeless charities as homeless people have varying needs. Here a few charities with local branches you may suggest.

SHELTER

Shelter will advise on how to get a place to stay if you are on the street, get help from your local council and even advise on how to help someone who is homeless.

CENTREPOINT

Centrepoint offers young people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness with support, skills and accommodation to help obtain training, education and jobs.

THE BIG ISSUE FOUNDATION

The Big Issue Foundation works to help their vendors all kinds of support ranging from help in acquiring skills, training, employment to helping with accommodation.

CRISIS

Crisis helps people facing homelessness and also campaigns to find solutions to problems around homelessness in the UK. In addition, Crisis carries out research to help present an accurate picture of homelessness in the UK and offer solutions through its knowledge hub

DEPAUL UK

Depaul UK works to provide shelter, food and health services to  homeless people. It also focuses on young vulnerable people by offering emergency shelter and eventually help seeking long term housing.

The charity has a programme called Nightstop UK service, which  basically helps to place young people at risk of homelessness, couch surfing or in unsuitable accommodation with checked and vetted volunteers who offer them a safe secure place for a night or two.

 ST MUNGO’S

St Mungo’s provides services to the homeless though outreach, advice and shelter for homeless people.

THE SALVATION ARMY

The Salvation Army runs drop-in centres, hostels and offer a range of other services in order to help homeless people across the UK

EMMAUS UK

Emmaus focuses on helping homeless people get back on their feet by providing work, shelter and sustenance. They do this through different social enterprise projects.

HOMELESS LINK

Homeless Link works to improve the plight of homeless people in partnership with charities and organisations within the homelessness sector

STREET LINK

C connects homeless people with homelessness services. This is done through an app and website. The service empowers member of the public who are worried about rough sleepers . This is then transferred to local teams who will contact rough sleepers and offer them services that are needed.

 

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