The festive season is notorious for being the most wasteful time of year.
We buy too much, cook too much, eat too much and ultimately, discard too much. Dr Suzan Oelofse, president of the Institute of Waste Management Southern Africa said there were effective ways for ordinary people to be more waste-conscious. Here are some tips to help reduce the amount of waste your family creates over the holidays.
1. Shop realistically – We tend to buy and cook up to twice as much as is needed. Plan meals carefully. With specific shopping lists, you can budget accurately, buy only what is genuinely needed and avoid impulse buys.
2. Take your own bags – Do your bit to reduce plastic in landfill sites by taking your own material bags when you go shopping. This small habit can make a huge difference.
3. Store food correctly – Make sure you put cold foods into the fridge or freezer as soon as possible after purchase to avoid any unnecessary spoiling. Store crackers, rusks and crisps in airtight containers once the box or packet has been opened and make sure any fruit is stored in a cool area, away from direct sunlight.
4. Use leftovers creatively – If you find you have cooked too much and there’s a mountain of leftover food, don’t throw it away. Even if you’re sure nobody is going to want more of the same tomorrow, food such as rice, gravy and vegetables can be frozen, and re-use the meat – for instance in pasta, on sandwiches or as part of a hearty breakfast.
5. Separate – Even if you have never recycled bottles and plastics before, there is no better time to start than now. You want five different waste containers, boxes or crates – whatever works for you. Label them cans, glass, plastic, paper and kitchen and then make sure everyone in the house separates accordingly.
6. Give to the less fortunate – Before throwing stuff away, find a way to give it to someone who would appreciate it. This could be leftover food, building material, clothes – anything. If someone can use it, give it away.
7. Green your gifts – Think about ways to green your gifts. You could start by wrapping gifts in recycled paper and giving recycled cards. When buying gifts, try to buy locally made items with recycled or recyclable packaging. You could even go a step further and buy gifts that will directly promote the reduction of waste, such as a Bokashi compost bin, or green shopping bags as stocking fillers.
