What can you do?
Freegans rebel against the ideas of consumerism and waste, but they do so to the extreme. Most people would not be willing to become freegans because the idea of living off of other people's waste repulses them, but that doesn't mean freeganism is the only option people can take.
Below are some steps you can take to ensure you're minimizing your own consumption and waste, without having to go to the extremes that a freegan does. |
It's never too late
The first step in reducing food waste would be to reduce consumption to begin with. This would mean not buying excessive amounts of food, or buying things that you don't think you'll end up using. However, sometimes people forget about the food the food that they've bought or overestimated how much they'll use, and leave the food rotting in their shelves or refrigerators. In this case, it's important to note that the expiration date does not necessarily mark the time that a food becomes unusable. In most cases it's used as a "best sell by" date, and many foods are still perfectly edible after they "expire", although you should still be cautious and be logical about what you eat (if it looks or smells bad, it probably isn't a good idea to eat it).
Here are some resources you can use to either find out the true expiration date of a food or to find creative ways to repurpose food that can no longer be eaten:
Here are some resources you can use to either find out the true expiration date of a food or to find creative ways to repurpose food that can no longer be eaten: