Alternative Uses for 5 Common Food Waste Items

Do you find yourself throwing out food in your kitchen? Well, you’re not the only one.

The Food Waste Reduction Alliance estimates that “25 – 40% of food grown, processed and transported in the US will never be consumed.” Most of that food waste will end up in landfills and only a small portion of it will be sent to compost centers. Diverting food waste from landfills is important because food waste releases methane, a harmful greenhouse gas, when stored in landfills. Food waste does not release harmful chemicals when it breaks down into compost, and it can be used to fertilize soil and promote plant growth.

However, the best way to handle food waste is to REDUCE your food waste! The second best option is to donate food to people or livestock. The last option is to either compost or throw away food waste.

Here are a few quick tips for reducing and repurposing food waste!

1. Do you buy milk by the gallon but never seem to finish the jug? Use the leftover milk to make yogurt before it goes bad. Recipes typically call for a half gallon of milk, so say goodbye to milk waste!
2. Use used coffee grounds or orange peels  to get rid of ants. Just sprinkle the used grounds or place peels near the pests! Just don’t forget to sweep up once the pests are gone.
3. You can also fertilize potted plants with used coffee grounds by sprinkling a light cover of grounds on the soil.
4. Obsessed with guac? Well don't let all of those squeezed limes go to waste. Clean your kitchen sink  by throwing leftover squeezed limes or lemons down the garbage disposal. Your kitchen sink will smell fresh and clean again and you will prevent introduction of harmful chemicals found in harsh cleaners to your community’s water supply.
5. Bananas seem to over ripen so easily. Use those overly sweet bananas for baking banana bread. You can even bury blackened banana peels in the soil near roses to act as a natural fertilizer.

We all contribute to food waste, including the University of Michigan. Learn more about how U-M is reducing food waste on campus at: www.recycle.umich.edu