Zero waste week - how you can get involved

Zero Waste Week runs from 6th to 10th September this year. When we talk about "going zero waste", it often revolves around avoiding single-use materials or non-recyclable packaging. This can mean buying grains from bulk stores, taking reusable produce bags with you to the shop or switching to bar soap instead of shower gels. 

But adopting zero waste principles can affect every aspect of our lives, like when we minimise the food we throw away. Get involved in Zero Waste Week every week with our tips on how to cut down your food waste. 

1. Plan your meals for the week ahead. Make sure you have a plan for each ingredient in your fridge so nothing gets forgotten about. 
2. Only buy what you need and make sure you use up items that will go off first. This will minimise the chance for food to expire before you get to it. Can you go shopping more frequently – a bigger shop at the weekend, then any extra bits you need on a weekday evening? 
3. If you have too many fruits or vegetables, preserve them by pickling or fermenting. Use up a cabbage by fermenting it and making it into kimchi - a versatile Korean side dish. 
4. Use a canning method to enjoy fresh, local food even when it's out of season. This generally involves cooking the food, putting it into jars and then using pressure to seal it. You can find beginner instructions here. 
5. If you won't be able to use your veggies in time because you have too much in the fridge already, freeze them to cook with later. You'll need to blanch them first - you can find instructions on how to do this here. 
6. If you want to get the most from your fruits and veggies, save your scraps, odds and ends and use them in new recipes. Here are some vegetarian stock recipe ideas to get started. 

Why not try out zero waste living during Zero Waste Week with others around the world? See how you feel after the week has ended and evaluate how well it went!