Food is valuable—and yet, we Germans throw away 12 million tonnes of it every year. It is high time to rethink this. Here are the best tips on how to reduce food waste in your own household.
Retailers, large-scale consumers, and private households dispose of food as waste—an estimated 10 million tonnes of which would still be edible. This is not just an ethical problem: the production and disposal of food consumes resources. Zero waste in food contributes to the appreciation of our food, saves money, and protects the climate.
Private households make up the lion's share
"Butter mountains" are well-known—agriculture produces surpluses that find no buyers. In addition, the market prescribes certain standards for fruit and vegetables that producers must adhere to. Uniform size and shape not only guarantee visually flawless goods, but also facilitate industrial processing—such as machine peeling.
Even with fruit and vegetables from organic farming, a lot is often sorted out. Nevertheless, the majority of avoidable waste is generated in private households.
Tips for less food waste
Shop more consciously
- Write a shopping list and stick to it
- Don't shop when hungry—otherwise you buy too much
- Smaller quantities—better to shop more often than too much at once
- Pay attention to the BBD (best-before date), but know: it is not an expiry date
Store wisely
- Use refrigerator zones (crisper drawer is cooler, top shelves are warmer)
- Store bread in breathable fabric bags or bread boxes
- Wrap herbs in damp paper towels
- Eggs stay fresh longer outside the refrigerator
Cook creatively
- Leftover cooking: conjure up new dishes from leftovers (pizza, vegetable soups, casseroles)
- Carrot greens: use as pesto or in broth
- Bread: stale bread can be turned into crumbs, croutons, bread pudding, or dumplings
- Fruit: overripe → ideal for smoothies, jam, or compote
Preserve instead of discarding
- Freezing: vegetables, fruit, bread, soups
- Canning/Preserving: jams, chutneys, pickles
- Drying: herbs, mushrooms, apple rings
- Fermenting: sauerkraut, kimchi, pickled cucumbers
