18 Ways To Reduce Food Waste In Your Own Kitchen

Food waste is a huge problem that we probably all contribute to in some way. From tossing out the rotten fruit you shoved in the back of the fridge and forgot about to throwing away half-full plates of uneaten food, you likely waste a decent amount of food every week, if not every day.

And you're not alone: the United States has more food waste than any other country, with research showing that Americans get rid of almost 40 million tons of food every year - we don't need to explain how much that is. Food takes up more space in US landfills than anything else, and it's putting a serious strain on our planet. Wasting food means wasting the water and energy that was used to produce it, and generates 7% of the world's emissions of greenhouse gases. All that food in landfills produces nitrogen pollution as well. And, of course, there are the personal repercussions: when you waste food, you're also wasting your own money.

The good news is that we can stop food waste with a few changes to our daily habits and kitchen routines. If everyone made an effort to reduce food waste, it could make a huge impact on climate change. Here's how to start reducing food waste in your own kitchen.