April Issue of NutriNews

16
and ends up getting tossed before it is used.
Really leaning into your personal food
preferences and searching for seasonal
produce can help you consume the foods that
you purchase. Creating meal plans, prepping
food before it enters the refrigerator, and
utilizing your freezer for leftovers before they
go bad can all help reduce food waste. Of
course, food waste is inevitable sometimes, so
be gentle with yourself as you navigate life
and sustainable living in the process. Reducing
the amount of single-use items purchased can
reduce the number of raw materials used,
reduce greenhouse gas emissions made, help
prevent pollution, save energy, save money
long-term, reduce the amount of waste that
needs to be recycled in landfills, and helps
create a more sustainable environment for
future generations.2
Reuse
Reusing food and purchased items can help
reduce the environmental impact of living in
the same ways reduction can—through using
less raw materials over time, emitting less
greenhouse gases, saving energy, and so on.2
Reusing items can look different for everyone,
but consider reusing plastic Ziplock bags more
than once in order to extend their time of use,
reusing cling wrap during baking or cooking in
a way that is food safe, and reusing
parchment paper
or aluminum foil if you are baking multiple
batches of a similar food item. Always consult
the packaging of the single-use products to
see the limits of reuse the item has. Using
leftovers to repurpose for a new meal is a
great way to cut down on food waste and
save some time preparing your next meal.
Using leftover veggies for a stir-fry the next
day or freezing dishes in glass meal-prep
containers for later use can help reuse food to
eliminate as much waste as possible.
Additionally, if space is available, you could
create compost for food scraps to help bring
nutrients back into your environment.
Recycle
Donating unused shelf-stable products before
letting them expire is a great way to help out
someone who faces food insecurity, while
cutting down on your own waste. If you have
pantry items you would like to donate, UNF’s
Lend-A-Wing program is a free resource for
students to either donate to or utilize for
themselves in the event of food insecurity. You
can find more information at
https://www.unf.edu/lendawing/ and their
website also offers additional resources to
help out students in need or who want to lend
a wing. Recycling your plastic, glass, and
cardboard items can help facilitate their reuse
for later products, and keep them out of our