10 Tips For Achieving A Zero-Waste Kitchen

1.) Stop Peeling Your Vegetables

A great yet simple way to reduce food waste is by avoiding unnecessary peeling. Peeling vegetables like potatoes, carrots, and parsnips isn’t necessary as their skins are edible and nutritious. For tougher peels, like lemon or ginger, try reusing them in other ways. For example, lemon peel can be used to sanitise surfaces, whilst ginger peel can be used to brew ginger tea. Yum!

If you still have some leftover peels, we recommend composting them. This will give them, plus other leftover foods such as fruit, vegetables, or eggshells, a second life without ever seeing the inside of your rubbish bin. Composting is a zero-waste kitchen’s best friend!

2.) Reuse Your Coffee Grounds

Believe it or not, coffee grounds can be used for more than just making a revitalising cup of coffee. So, once you’ve used them, there’s no need to throw them away. They can instead be reused as plant fertiliser, pest repellent, or even in beauty treatments like homemade face masks and exfoliators.

3.) Never Throw Away Fruit or Veg

Overripe or damaged fruits and vegetables can still be used in various delicious recipes. For example, overripe bananas are perfect for banana bread! 

Check out these ‘Top Ten Ways to Use Up Overripe Fruit‘ from The Kitchn for more recipe ideas.

4.) Make The Most Out Of Your Bread

Nearly 11% of the food we throw away is some form of bread or pastry. This is often because they hit the bin as soon as they turn stale. Bread wastage can be prevented by buying only what you need, and using stale bread in recipes like breadcrumbs or croutons. Explore 19 fantastic ways to use stale bread in these recipes from serious eats.

5.) Plan Your Meals

Planning meals and making a shopping list based on what you already have can significantly reduce food waste. So before you write your list, be sure to check your cupboards to ensure you don’t buy things you already have. Then, stick to your list and avoid buying non-essential items.

Samsung Family Hub Meal Planner

6.) Store Your Food Correctly

Proper storage is crucial for extending the life of your food. Each food item must be stored in its ideal conditions to remain fresh for as long as possible. Check any packaging that your food comes in for storage instructions, and be sure to follow them. For example, many condiments or sauces should be refrigerated once opened.

7.) Take Your Lunch To Work

Instead of buying lunch, use leftovers. We throw away tons of edible food in our kitchens every year. By doing our best to use and not throw away leftovers, we help create a zero-waste kitchen whilst saving money too. UK workers spend an average of £1,092 a year on lunch, which can be reduced by taking home-cooked meals.

8.) Buy Condiments and Spices Wisely

To minimize waste, buy condiments and spices in small quantities and only when needed. Whether you throw away a few spoonfuls of jam or half a jar of leftover tomato sauce, it all adds up. The motto here is to use everything and store all condiments carefully to ensure they are kept fresh and edible.

9.) Cook Just Enough

Cooking the right amount of food can be challenging. How many times have you cooked too much rice or spaghetti?! Using portion calculators, like this one from Love Food Hate Waste, can help you find the perfect quantities. This is a great way to cut down on food wastage, and save you money!

10.) Best Before and Display Until Dates

Don’t throw away your food based on best before or display until dates. Display until labels are only for shop staff, not shoppers. Meanwhile, best before dates have nothing to do with food safety. These foods will still be safe to eat after this date, however may have lost some of the flavour, texture, or quality. 

Only use caution with use-by dates, which do refer to food safety. However, you can still freeze food before its use-by date to extend its life. Just remember to consume it within 24 hours after defrosting.