Читать книгу Zero Waste Cooking For Dummies - Rosanne Rust - Страница 18

Sure, you want to save the earth, but don’t forget that creating a zero waste kitchen is also going to save you money. All that food waste adds up to more than $160 billion each year (retail and consumer waste). Some estimate that this equates to about $1,500 a year per household. Whew! That’s lot of missed meal creations.

Just think about all the fun experiences you could buy with the money you’re going to save on your zero waste journey. Or maybe you can donate some of that money to a worthy charity of your choice.

One way to start working on this right away is to designate a “food scrap bowl” to keep in your refrigerator. This bowl or container can hold things that you normally might throw away (old bananas, carrot tops, bruised fruit, dried-out tomatoes). After a few days, check out what you have and head to Part 3, where you’ll find recipes that are especially versatile for cooking with bits and scraps.

Consider using a community-supported agriculture (CSA) system to purchase seasonal produce from local farmers. The way this works is locally grown produce is shipped to your door weekly, which can save you money on your food bill and saves gas and transportation. You could even split it with a friend or neighbor.

Another great way to save money is by buying “ugly” or imperfect produce. Your local grocer may have a reduced-price shelf. There are several companies that funnel less-than-perfect produce from processors to sell directly to consumers at discounts, too. Keep in mind that farmers and food manufacturers are also always working toward reducing food waste. For instance, a bruised apple doesn’t get bagged, but it goes into the apple juice or applesauce line at the packaging plant. Find more ideas in Chapter 6.