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    HomeLifestyleAyuda Line: How to dispose food waste | Lifestyle

    Ayuda Line: How to dispose food waste | Lifestyle

    Ayuda Line is a regular feature in the Lifestyle section where we answer consumer questions. Do you have a question for Ayuda Line? Send it in via email to life@guampdn.com.

    Question: How to dispose food waste?

    Answer: Limiting the amount of food waste disposal can benefit our environment and ourselves. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, there’s many ways you can dispose of food waste.

    Control food purchases

    One way to dispose of food waste is limiting food consumption as controlling the amount of food purchased can benefit our environment and ourselves.

    One benefit to limiting food consumption is that you can reduce your environmental and climate change footprint. When food is wasted, the land, water, energy and other methods that are used in producing, processing, transporting, preparing, storing and disposing the food are wasted as well.

    Another benefit is you can save money by buying only what you need and what you will eat. Having a list of ingredients that you’ll use for your next meal can easily help you during your next run to the store. When creating your shopping list, consider how many meals you’ll eat at home, how often you will eat out, if you plan to eat frozen precooked meals and if you will eat leftovers for any of your meals.

    Donate food to help centers

    Donating unopened, non-expired, canned or dry packaged foods to our local help centers is another way to limit food waste.

    The Salvation Army accepts canned and pre-packaged non-expired goods, for more information contact 671-477-9872 or email eric.rudd@usw.salvationarmy.org. Catholic Social Services accepts canned and pre-packaged non-expired goods for adults and children. To donate, head to the Catholic Social Services located at the CSS Main Office building 234A US Army Juan C. Fejeran St., Barrigada Heights. For more information contact 671-635-1442 or email info@cssguam.org.

    Store foods properly

    Store fruits and vegetables properly in sealed containers for maximum freshness. Refrigerators should be set to maintain a temperature of 40 °F or below.

    Store grains and frozen food in containers and label them with the contents and dates.

    Most vegetables, especially those that could wilt, should be placed in the high humidity drawer of the fridge. Most fruits, as well as vegetables, that tend to rot should go in the low humidity drawer of the fridge. Some produce should be stored in a cool, dry, dark and well-ventilated place.

    Store fruits such as bananas, apples, pears, stone fruits and avocados in an area away from other produce as they release ethylene gas as they ripen which causes other nearby produce to ripen faster. For berries, cherries and grapes, wash them when you’re ready to eat them to prevent mold.

    You can store condiments on the refrigerator door as it is the warmest part of the fridge. The lower shelves are the coldest part of the fridge, so store meat, poultry and fish here.

    Cooking and preparation tips

    When cooking or preparing a meal, there are many ways to limit food waste. Repurpose produce in soups, casseroles, stir fries, frittatas, sauces, baked goods, pancakes or smoothies. Learn the difference between “sell-by,” “use-by,” “best-by” and expiration dates. Don’t leave perishable food at room temperature for more than two hours.

    Compost food

    Compost is organic material that can be added to soil to help plants grow. All composts requires three basic ingredients:

    Browns: Dead leaves, branches and twigs.

    Greens: Grass clippings, vegetable waste, fruit scraps and coffee grounds.

    Water: Having the right amount of water, greens and browns is important for compost development.

    Your compost pile should have an equal amount of browns to greens. You should also alternate layers of organic materials of different-sized particles. The brown materials provide carbon for your compost, the green materials provide nitrogen and the water provides moisture to help break down the organic matter.

    You can compost fruits and vegetables, eggshells, coffee grounds and filters, tea bags, nut shells, shredded newspaper, cardboard, paper, yard and grass trimmings, houseplants, hay and straw, leaves, sawdust, wood chips, cotton and wool rags, hair and fur and fireplace ashes.

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