Green Living Column Jan 2021: SDG12 - Responsible Consumption and Production

 

PENCINTA ALAM JANUARY 2021

GREEN LIVING COLUMN:

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOAL (SDG) 12: RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION.

 By Wong Ee Lynn <wongeelynn@yahoo.com>

 

(Image credits: https://www.globalgoals.org/resources)

In December 2020, Green Living Coordinator Ee Lynn was interviewed by Ecocentric Transitions for their Science Film Festival – Goethe Institute SDG Online Series for a special episode on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12: Responsible Consumption and Production.

 

You can view the video here: 

https://www.facebook.com/ecocentrictransitions/videos/842294303211720

(Image credits: https://www.globalgoals.org/12-responsible-consumption-and-production)

As the video is over 40 minutes in length, we have decided to provide you with a summary in the form of the quick facts below:

 

 

1.      1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted every year, yet almost 2 billion people go hungry or undernourished. At the same time, 2 billion people globally are categorized as overweight or obese.

2.      The production of food accounts for around 22%  of total greenhouse gas emissions, and this is largely from the conversion of forests into farmland. Globally, agriculture accounts for 92% of global freshwater use. 29% of the water used in agriculture is directly or indirectly used for animal production.

3.      Livestock is the world’s largest user of land resources, with pasture and arable land dedicated to the production of feed representing almost 80% of total agricultural land. One third of global arable land is used to grow feed, while 26% of the Earth’s ice-free terrestrial surface is used for grazing.

4.      If we continue to consume and waste resources the way we do, by the year 2050, we will need the equivalent of 3 planet earths to sustain our lifestyles.

5.      World or Earth Overshoot Day is the calculated calendar date on which humanity’s resource consumption for that year exceeds the Earth’s capacity to regenerate those resources that year. It’s like taking out a bank overdraft that you know you’re not going to be able to pay back.

6.      The way you calculate Earth Overshoot Day is by dividing the planet’s biocapacity (which is the amount of natural resources generated by Earth that year) by the world ecological footprint (which is humanity’s consumption of Earth’s natural resources for that year) and multiplying it by 365.

7.      Ecological overshoot started in the early 1970s and is getting earlier each year. Earth Overshoot Day 2019 fell on the 29^th of July, the earliest ever. However, due to the Covid19 pandemic, Earth Overshoot Day 2020 was pushed back to the 22^nd of August. This is mostly because of reduced fossil fuel consumption, people were flying and driving less, and many factories and plants had to temporarily shut down. There was also a 8.4% reduction in deforestation and the harvesting of forest products because of movement restrictions worldwide and also because of lower demand, which is good for the forests. The pandemic made us aware that we can and should consume less, and we can do so without significantly reducing the quality of our lives.

8.      We need food to survive, but the food we choose makes a big difference to our carbon footprint. Food accounts for between 10 to 30 % of a household’s carbon footprint. Food production accounts for 68% of food’s carbon emissions, while transportation accounts for 5% of it. Since transportation accounts for only 5% of the carbon footprint of our food, we should focus more on WHAT we eat, not whether or not our food is locally produced and sourced.

9.      Meat production has a larger carbon footprint per calorie than plant-based food, because of the inefficient transformation of plant energy to animal energy, and due to the methane released from manure management and enteric fermentation in livestock. It’s not efficient because its production is responsible for 60% of agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions, but meat products provide merely 18% of calories and 37% of protein levels around the world.

10.   70% of the deforestation of the Amazon is to provide land for cattle ranches so if you want to do something to protect the Amazon rainforest, one of the best things you can do would be to go vegan if you can, go vegetarian if you can’t go vegan, and reduce meat and dairy consumption as much as possible if you can’t go fully vegetarian either. A regular meat-eater has the highest carbon footprint at 3.3 tons of greenhouse gas emissions. A vegan diet has the lowest carbon footprint at only 1.5 tons. You can reduce the carbon footprint of your food by up to 73% just by cutting out meat and dairy.

11.   Researchers at the University of Oxford found that if everyone stopped eating meat and dairy, global farmland use could be reduced by 75%. This is an area equivalent to the size of the USA, China, Australia, and the European Union combined. Not only would this significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, it would also free up land which can then be rewilded to support wildlife populations again.

12.   Cities and towns need to be resilient in that in the event of a major disaster or adverse event causing it to be cut off from other cities, it should be able to produce sufficient food to meet the immediate needs of its residents. In neighbouring Singapore, there are sky farming initiatives to boost the nation’s food security by growing vegetables and fruits via hydroponics and aeroponics. Singapore also has the distinction of becoming the first country to approve the sale of lab-grown meat, and this will no doubt improve its food self sufficiency because it will no longer have to rely as heavily on countries with grazing land for animal protein. It would be great to see Malaysia take steps towards increased food self sufficiency in each state and city, and promote the replacement of conventionally grown meat with lab-grown meat and plant-based meat, for environmental and health reasons, and also for food self-sufficiency.

 

 

Greening Your Work-From-Home Routine

 

PENCINTA ALAM DECEMBER 2020

GREEN LIVING COLUMN

GREENING YOUR WORK-FROM-HOME ROUTINE

By Wong Ee Lynn wongeelynn@yahoo.com / gl.mnselangor@yahoo.com

 

As the world grows more accustomed to the idea that the Covid19 pandemic is here to stay and that the precautions we have adopted as part of “the new normal” are gradually becoming an essential part of our lives and daily routines, we will need to make arrangements for working and studying from home, either as a permanent arrangement, or as something we may need to do intermittently for certain periods of time whenever there is an outbreak and a Movement Control Order and a school closure order is declared.

 

If you are working from home, you may find that it is not as sustainable and economical a lifestyle change as you initially thought it would be. You may find that your electricity use has gone up, or that you are still driving almost daily to eat out or run errands, or that you are accumulating a lot of unwanted plastic and paper packaging from online shopping and food deliveries.

 

Here are ways you can make your work-from-home and online learning situation more sustainable and less wasteful:

 

1.     CARVE OUT A WORKSTATION OR HOME OFFICE FROM YOUR EXISTING SPACE.

 

Ikea and other popular home furnishing stores are full of shoppers buying cheap desks and chairs so that they can create workstations and home offices for working and studying from home. This increases consumption and waste. In addition, we should not be spending money unnecessarily at a time of global economic uncertainty. Cheap furniture is often not built to last and is constructed out of plastic, laminated fibreboard, or Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF), all materials that are not durable, compostable, or biodegradable, and may contain toxic or harmful compounds such as formaldehyde.

 

Instead of buying new furniture, carve out a workspace in your home by decluttering, tidying up, and organizing your existing space. A dining table, dressing table, or breakfast nook will provide you with the space you need once the clutter has been cleared. “Shop” your home for boxes, binders, writing materials, scrap paper, and other office supplies. Choose a spot that already has lighting and a fan, so you don’t have to buy a table lamp or standing fan.

 

 

2.     HAVE A SHARED WORKSPACE WITH FAMILY MEMBERS OR HOUSEMATES.

 

It is only logical that your home energy consumption will increase if each family member is working in his or her own bedroom or a separate workstation, as all the lights, fans, and air-conditioning units will be switched on. Try to see if you can agree on working in a shared space to cut down on energy consumption. Perhaps the dining table or a large table in the living room can be cleared and designated as the family workstation where everyone does their work. Earphones or headphones can be used by those who need to listen to music or webinars as they work. Alternatively, separate workstations can be carved out in areas such as the family room, living room, or dining room, and the bedrooms can be designated as work-free zones, except when someone needs to attend a zoom meeting in a room with the door closed.

 

3.     LIMIT YOUR WORK AND STUDY HOURS.

 

As there are no restrictions as to what time we need to commence and stop working, we may find that we are working late into the night, or on the weekends. This is not only physically and psychologically unhealthy for us as we are then mentally constantly switched on, it can also be bad for the environment if our devices and appliances are constantly left running.

 

Decide on the major tasks you need to complete before the day is over and block off the time for work. Stop when the tasks are complete, and tidy your space and switch off your devices, screens, and appliances entirely. Setting clear boundaries on work hours and rest hours will be better for your health, as well as reduce your energy use and greenhouse gas emissions.

 

4.     VENTILATE, NOT AIR-CONDITION, YOUR SPACE.

 

 

The biggest energy vampire in our homes as we work from home more frequently is almost certainly air-conditioning units.

 

A window air-conditioning unit runs on 1.2 kilowatts. A ceiling fan uses only 30 watts. A fan, therefore, uses less than 1% of the energy it takes to run an air-conditioning unit! Switch to using a fan instead of air-conditioning.

 

If your fan does not feel cool enough, remove clutter out of its way, clean your fan blades regularly, and place your workstation under a ceiling fan or in front of a standing or tabletop fan.

 

Take a cold shower before you start working to keep you alert and feeling refreshed, as well as cool your body down.

 

You can also DIY a “poor man’s air conditioning unit” by putting bottles of ice water in front of your table fan so that it blows cold air in your direction.

 

If the room really is too stuffy and warm without air-conditioning, switch the air-conditioning unit on for around 1 hour until the room cools down. Then switch off the air-conditioning unit and let the fan circulate the cool air in your work area.

 

 

5.     REDUCE TAKEOUTS AND FOOD DELIVERY.

 

Having food delivered to you can save time, especially when you need to focus on work, but it can also have a large carbon footprint and generate waste. Food delivery riders consume fuel to deliver food to you, and the food often comes in excessive plastic and paper packaging. While paper and cardboard food packaging may be compostable and less harmful to wildlife, their production process consumes a lot of land, water, and resources, and requires the cutting down of trees.

 

Practice prepping food in advance for the week, e.g. by cooking larger portions of pasta, rice, soups, and curries, and freezing them (in freezer-friendly reusable containers, not in plastic bags!) so that they can be reheated and consumed throughout the workweek.

 

Freezing food for reheating later also works for when you are buying food from restaurants. Make one trip out to run errands and purchase food every 3-7 days and bring your own containers with you to take out food from your favourite restaurants and food courts. Label your food containers before putting them in the freezer so you remember what you have available and when it was purchased. Leave a note to yourself on your refrigerator door or whiteboard to remind you to eat the food in the freezer or refrigerator.

 

If you have no other choice but to have food delivered to you, choose restaurants that are nearest to you to reduce the amount of fuel used by the delivery riders or drivers. Since you are working from home, be sure to inform the restaurant or delivery platform that you will not be needing disposable utensils. Try to order from restaurants that use compostable food packaging. Plastic takeout containers that are undamaged and have been used only for halal food can be donated to What A Waste Malaysia for their food rescue missions. Wash and dry the containers and match them with their lids, and drop them off at any of What A Waste MY’s designated collection points (Check their Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/whatawasteMY/).

 

 

6.     LIMIT DRIVING AND RUNNING ERRANDS TO DESIGNATED DAYS.

 

We should not be driving as much as we used to when we were working in offices, yet here we are, driving out to run errands each day. Combine your errands and get them done on the same day. Instead of driving out to the shops when you need a break from work, do some gardening, engage in housework and home improvement projects that require physical exertion, or take a walk and go plogging when you are bored. Designate at least 1 day a week as a No-Drive or Car-Free Day.

 

 

 

If you found these tips useful and have feedback to share, or if you have ideas of your own on how to make working from home more sustainable, email us at wongeelynn@yahoo.com and gl.mnselangor@yahoo.com!

A Beginner's Guide To A Plant-Based Diet

PENCINTA ALAM JAN 2016
GREEN LIVING COLUMN
A BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO A PLANT-BASED DIET

By Wong Ee Lynn
(wongeelynn@yahoo.com / gl.mnselangor@yahoo.com)

Former California Governor and movie star Arnold Schwarzenegger recently made waves in the news when he urged people to try to go meat-free once or twice a week for the sake of the environment. Recognising that many people would find it challenging to go fully vegetarian, he wisely pointed out that "People will buy in to stop eating meat one or two days a week - you have to start slowly. It's a very big challenge but it doesn't mean it shouldn't be done."

The factory farming industry has a very large carbon footprint. Producing 1kg of meat protein is calculated to take between 3 and 10kg of vegetable protein.

Emissions from farming, forestry and fisheries have nearly doubled over the past 50 years and may increase by another 30% by 2050, according to the United Nations.

Most of the emissions from meat farming come from belching livestock and nitrogen fertilisers.

People go vegetarian and vegan for many reasons -- religious, health, environmental and ethical -- and all these reasons are commendable. Whether you are a full-time vegan or vegetarian or someone trying to reduce his or her meat intake, all efforts to eat fewer animal products should be encouraged and applauded. No effort is too small or negligible. We may not volunteer for environmental organisations, clean up oceans, plant trees, or save endangered wildlife every day, BUT we do eat every day, and therefore even small changes to our diet will make a large difference over time.

Here are ways to gradually reduce your intake of meat and animal products and transition to a plant-based diet, tried and tested by the vegetarian subcommittee members of the Green Living Special Interest Group:

1. Identify good reasons for going vegetarian or reducing meat consumption. If  your goal is to impress somebody you like or just to reduce enough weight for a special occasion, you might not stick with the goal for long. To remind yourself of your reasons and goals, it may be helpful to visit websites such as Mercy for Animals (http://www.mercyforanimals.org/), Humane Society International (http://hsi.org/), and One Green Planet (http://www.onegreenplanet.org/) or watch documentaries such as Earthlings to educate, empower and motivate yourself. Be forewarned, though, that the graphic images in some of these documentaries can evoke strong emotions.

2. Start small. Meatless Monday is an easy, painless way to start. Increase it to two days a week, and then increase it until you can be a Weekday Vegetarian. When you are ready, transition into a full time vegetarian and finally, into a vegan.

3. Start by eating lower on the food chain. "First, four legs, then two legs, then no legs" is a good way to start. What it means is that you start by eliminating beef, mutton, pork and venison from your diet, and once you are able to do this, move on to eliminating poultry, and finally, eliminate seafood, fish, eggs and dairy from your diet.

4. Mark 'cheat days', for example, parties and holiday dinners, into your calendar so that you will not feel deprived if you are accustomed to enjoying meat. Make a conscious effort to go vegetarian on all the other days leading up to the 'cheat days'. Allowing yourself 'cheat days' makes the transition easier. Over time, you will find that your body no longer craves meat or animal products and you can go without 'cheat days'. Don't feel guilty about relapses or occasional cravings. You need to feel positive, confident and joyful about the decision you are making to eat less meat for the environment and animals, and guilt and negativity are unproductive. If you do relapse, just get back into the groove of meatless meals as soon as you can.

5. Keep healthy, satisfying vegetarian snacks and ready-to-eat meals at home and at work so that you will not be tempted to relapse. Many people believe that vegetarian foods are not filling or nutritious, because they tend to choose processed food filled with carbohydrates and sodium or sugar, or fruits and vegetables without a protein component to fill an empty belly. Have a variety of sweet and savoury snacks at hand, for example, nuts, hummus, high-fibre crackers, roast soybeans, air-dried noodles, vegetable soup stock, frozen vegetables, fresh and dried fruit, carrot and celery sticks, and peanut butter and other spreads. 

6. Prepare vegetarian food to bring to parties and gatherings so that you will have something meatless to eat. It is also a good way to introduce others to vegetarian food. Chances are, there will be at least one other vegetarian there. Don't be afraid to make the same dish for every gathering if it very popular the first time around.

7. Identify good sources of vegetarian protein, calcium and iron that do not involve supplements, powdered shakes, and mock meat. Reduce the consumption of processed foods and mock meat, as the latter is filled with sodium and empty calories. Hummus, chickpeas and edamame beans are rich in protein. Kale, alfalfa, spinach, broccoli, beetroot and kailan are rich in calcium and iron. Find something you like and don't be afraid to eat it often, as it is preferable to making something you hate and having to throw the leftovers out.

8. Eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables to get your minimum of five-a-day. Use sauces, dressings and other hacks to train yourself to like fruits and vegetables you would not usually eat. Grind or chop up vegetables to add to pasta sauce or soup. Blend beetroot or kale with chickpeas to make delicious and addictive hummus spreads. Add vegetables to smoothies and disguise their flavour with lots of fruits (e.g. carrots with oranges, beetroot with strawberries). I have also found that hardly anyone would turn down a colourful and vitamin-laden salad if you chop everything up finely and dress the salad with sesame dressing for an Oriental-style salad, or with salsa and corn chips for a Southwestern taco salad. 

9. Visit websites such as Happy Cow (www.happycow.net/) or download apps such as Kindmeal.my (http://www.kindmeal.my/) to make the search for vegetarian and vegetarian-friendly restaurants easier. Set yourself goals such as to try a new restaurant or a new food each week.

10. Visit websites such as Vegan Richa (www.veganricha.com/) and One Green Planet (http://www.onegreenplanet.org/) for easy vegetarian and vegan recipes. Don't be afraid to try new foods and recipes, and at the same time, don't be afraid to keep repeating a handful of recipes that you do like. Keep a few staples in your pantry and stock your refrigerator so that you do not run out of fresh produce and vegetarian ingredients.

11. If you are just starting out as a vegetarian and want to try a meatless meal, go for vegan versions of your favourite meals, e.g. lasagna, pizza or curry. This will increase the chances of you liking the vegan version, and there will always be a go-to dish you can rely on when faced with a menu full of things you are uncertain about.

12. Don't expect substitutes to taste like meat. They usually don't. Mushrooms will taste like mushrooms and chickpeas will taste like chickpeas. If you expect any different, you might develop the impression that a particular meatless dish tastes 'weird', 'fake' or 'inferior to meat'.

13. People often claim that vegetarian meals are unhealthy and expensive. They are not. Going vegetarian isn't unhealthy -- eating mock meat and processed food is. Vegetables and fruits aren't more expensive than meat, even if you are buying mostly organic -- but eating out in restaurants all the time or buying imported and processed foods (especially substitutes such as vegan cheese and almond milk) can be! Make wise choices according to your budget and nutritional needs.

14. Make your meals attractive so that you will look forward to eating them. A bento box filled with colourful sliced vegetables and neat sandwiches is easy and inexpensive to prepare and pack, and fun and convenient to eat.
 

15. Find other ways to green your meals. Buy local, seasonal and organic whenever possible. Choose products with the least plastic and packaging. Go for fresh or frozen instead of processed foods. Choose products with no vegetable oils that are linked to deforestation and environmental destruction.

16. Be a joyful vegetarian. Prepare and eat meals that make you feel good. Don't isolate your friends who are not vegetarian. Don't preach or brag about your choice to go vegetarian or shame others for what they choose to eat. Join friends for meals out and parties, but choose the vegetarian option or bring a dish you can eat, so that you will not feel left out. Most restaurants have at least a few vegetarian options, or are happy to customise a dish for you. Be positive and optimistic, for many others like you are also making a conscious effort to consume sustainably, responsibly and compassionately!

Reducing Your Carbon "Foodprint"

PENCINTA ALAM OCTOBER 2010
GREEN LIVING COLUMN
REDUCING YOUR CARBON "FOODPRINT"


In this economy, it's hard to prioritise the quality of your food. Why buy free-range eggs or fair trade coffee when you can get virtually the same product at a hypermarket for half the cost? However, the food we choose to buy and consume not only has a great impact on our bodies, but on our environment, as well. What seems like a trivial matter--what you choose to eat for dinner--ultimately amounts to an overwhelming issue that concerns the very future of our planet. But this doesn't mean it's a lost cause: by educating ourselves and others, we have reduced, and continue to reduce, the energy consumption due to our diets by choosing our foods wisely.

You can try measuring your carbon "foodprint" using online applications such as the Carbon Diet Calculator (http://www.eatlowcarbon.org/Carbon-Calculator.html and http://www.foodcarbon.co.uk/calculator.html), but bear in mind that as we are in Malaysia, local fruits fall into the category of "seasonal" and not "tropical".

Here are steps you can take to measure and reduce your carbon foodprint:

1. Take your food list from yesterday and calculate your carbon “foodprint.” Did you eat anything grown within 250km? Choose five items from yesterday that were not produced locally and try swapping them out for items that are produced locally.

2. For this week define your own limits. Will you only buy food grown within 100 km of your home, or food only grown in Malaysia? Will you give up beef or try veganism? If you aren’t consuming packaged products (which create trash), your choices may be easier than you think.

3. There’s no denying it — eating fewer animal products can be the single greenest move you can make. Try going vegetarian once a week, or having meat in just one of your meals each day.

4. Practice “passive cooking” by using leftover boiling water to soften and even lightly cook (or steam) things. Instead of sautéing or braising greens, massage them with some oil and vinegar until soft and wilted. Eat more raw fruits and vegetables instead of processed food. It can be as easy as having fresh fruit for dessert instead of ice cream and jelly.

5. Find ways to use your oven for shorter periods. Put food in during the
preheating stage and turn the oven off early to let the heated air finish
cooking your food.

6. Pack school or office sandwiches and snacks in reusable or washable cloth bags or in lunchboxes. Use glass or stainless steel lunchboxes instead of plastic ones.

7. When eating out, ask for a glass of boiled water instead of a bottle of bottled drinking water. Bring your own drinking water with you whenever possible.

Reducing Food Wastage

GREEN LIVING COLUMN JUNE – JULY 2008

REDUCING FOOD WASTAGE
By Wong Ee Lynn
Food is precious, yet the irony is that a study found that 1/3 of food purchased in the UK ends up in the trash. Although no similar study has been conducted in Malaysia, one only needs to look at the amount of uneaten food left behind in restaurants to realize that Malaysians too waste food prodigiously.

Wasted food ends up in landfill sites. When the food matter breaks down, it releases massive amounts of greenhouse gases and carbon dioxide. At the same time, Malaysia is rapidly running out of landfill space.



Taking steps to reduce food wastage is not only good for housekeeping purposes; it also helps the environment in a big way. If the country needed to produce or import 15% less foodstuff, for instance, there will be a corresponding reduction in pollution levels, the destruction and over-harvesting of our natural resources, transport costs and packaging.

These are ways in which you can take action to reduce food wastage when eating out, entertaining at home or attending an event where food will be served:

1. Bring home your uneaten portions after a meal out. Try not to use Styrofoam. Bring your own reusable container or ask for waxed paper, reusable plastic containers or paper bags to take away your food in. Then jot down the date the meal was prepared on the packaging, or leave a note for yourself on the refrigerator door. Once you keep track of when your food was prepared or purchased, it will be easier for you to remember to eat it before it goes bad.

2. Banquets are the bane of modern society. If you or someone you know is having a wedding function, please try not to have an 8-course dinner. Most guests will skip 'stages' and consequently, much of the food will be thrown away. Instead, opt for a light buffet. Food left on serving trays can be packed up and taken home by guests or waiters, or even given to the less privileged. If the food served is vegetarian, you can contact Food Not Bombs KL through their blog at http://fnbkl.blogspot.com/ to arrange for the food to be distributed to the less fortunate.

3. A traditional mindset is not always good. The Chinese often take a clean plate as an indication of a poor hostess. If you are the host or hostess, do not encourage food wastage and do not insist that your guests have more food when they refuse. If you are the guest, explain to the hostess that although you enjoy her food very much, you really cannot have any more and you do not wish to waste food.

4. When organizing a party, offer fewer choices so that whatever is served is more likely to be finished. Don't, for instance, serve cupcakes and Swiss roll when there is a birthday cake. A good idea is to have a themed party, such as a 'pizza party' or a 'tapas party'. This limits the variety of food you have to purchase or prepare, and can be a novel and interesting experience for your guests without making you seem like a stingy host. 4 – 5 varieties of food, and 1 choice of beverage, are adequate.

5. When eating out, order the smallest portion and finish it before you order something else. Too many people order and pay for 'side dishes' and 'appetizers' that are later not finished. Whenever possible, share with a friend or family member. Do not let children order meals that you know they are unable to finish.

6. It is easy to get persuaded into ordering a set meal or a 'value meal' when eating out. Unless sharing with a friend or very certain that you can polish off a set meal on your own, always order ala carte. Never shop for food when you are hungry, because you will then be tempted to buy the largest set in the mistaken belief that you need it and will be able to finish it.

7. When organizing a party or potluck, have a ready supply of reusable containers, waxed paper or Eco Pak for guests to bring the excess food home. This prevents you from overstocking your refrigerator with several days' worth of leftover food that will eventually be thrown out.

8. High teas and weekend buffets are popular among the well-to-do. However, please consider the environment before overloading your plate and leaving uneaten portions to be thrown out. Remind yourself that food is precious and that there are many starving people in the world. You may have paid for the food, but Mother Nature pays the ultimate price for your wastage.


Practical steps to reduce food wastage at home:

1. Check what you already have in your fridge and cupboards before going shopping. So for instance, if you already have some fresh vegetables, then use these up first before buying any more vegetables.

2. Ignore the advertising carried out by supermarkets to tempt us all to buy more and buy in bulk. Remember that the 30% of food you waste is helping them make huge profits at your expense.

3. If you carry out a weekly shopping trip, then plan your food menu for the week and only buy accordingly. Stick to the menu and plan it well. For instance, carrots and pumpkin last longer than greens and bean sprouts, so use your greens up earlier in the week.

4. Resist any special offers and don't buy anything you wouldn't eat. Generic brands may be cheaper, but if it tastes horrible and no one wants to eat it, it will still go to waste.

5. Avoid going food shopping with children and don't give in to their demands for highly packaged cereal, junk food and fast food that comes with toys.

6. Use leftovers creatively. Vegetables that are too bruised or withered for salad may still be good in soups, stir-frys and fried rice. Many fish and meat-based leftovers such as sausage or burger meat can be reheated and used in fried rice, noodles, sandwiches and pasta, or as pizza topping. Slightly stale bread can be used for French toast or in bread pudding. Half-finished boxes of festive candy can be used to decorate cakes and cookies. Fresh fruit can be made into jam or pie filling.

7. Ensure that the temperature thermostat in your fridge is set correctly so that fresh produce does not go bad.

8. If you buy ready-to-eat meals, such as fish-n-chips from the supermarket, then make sure they are the right size for you and nothing will be wasted afterwards.

9. Make sure you use up all your instant meals and not change your mind about eating them once they are in your kitchen.

10. On an ongoing basis, keep an eye on what is being wasted in your kitchen and what you can do to cut it out completely. An estimated 60% of food that is dumped is expired food. Therefore, keep close tabs of what you have in the fridge and cabinets. Check them each month and use up
food before they go bad.

11. Eat more healthy foods – and you will find you eat less anyway. An MNS member reported that after switching to organic greens, the family found it too costly to waste vegetables and so all of the vegetables were consumed.

12. Compost your food waste to reduce the amount of waste going into our landfills. Teabags, fruit and uncooked vegetables can go into your compost pile. Cooked foods contain oils that are difficult to break down, may contaminate your compost pile and may attract flies and other disease vectors, so do not mix these food wastes into your compost.

13. Read your labels and handle and store your food properly. Most sauces, condiments and drink concentrates have to be refrigerated after opening. Some have to be used up within a certain time after opening. Canned food has to be transferred to another container, preferably glass, as it is dangerous to leave food in opened tins. Exposed tin will oxidise and change the chemical composition of its contents, thus making your food toxic. Store food in airtight containers to reduce the risk of contamination.

14. Biscuits can lose their crispness if stored too long, even in airtight containers and tins. Try adding a clean piece of coal, a carbon-based fridge deodoriser, silicone dehumidifier packets from your vitamin bottles or sugar lumps in the tin. The above items act as dehumidifiers and will draw moisture away from the biscuits. Alternatively, you can keep them fresh and crunchy by storing them in the refrigerator if you have the space. This does not create a strain on the refrigerator but instead, conserves energy, as the refrigerated food keeps the temperature constant and there is now less empty space to keep refrigerated.

15. Cut down on your grocery shopping trips. If you shop on a weekly basis, try shopping only once in 2 weeks. This will cut down on your fuel costs, the number of plastic bags used and will compel you to use up food items in your refrigerator and pantry before buying more. Don't forget that many of us make impromptu purchases while shopping, so reducing your trips will also reduce unnecessary purchases.