Reducing waste by organizing your kitchen

Are you getting sick and tired of throwing food away every other day? It is such a shame to be throwing away food, I hate it when I have to do it. That is why I have been trying to find a way to have as little food waste as possible. And I realised the key to limiting the food waste is simply organization. In an organised kitchen you know what you have and where exactly it will help by knowing exactly where it is.

You can reduce your food waste significantly, too, all you need to do is spend some time on organising your kitchen cabinets. Find out which is the most convenient for you way to organise it. You can start by organising your dishes, pans and appliances so that you can see which will go where. Whether you organise them by alphabetical order, shape or just by type, always make sure that the ones you use more often are in the front.

If there are any kitchen appliances that you do not use frequently but sit on your counter and gather dust and take up space – put them away. Instead of them put several bowls of your fresh fruits – it will look prettier and you will be able to see what fruits you have and notice if they start going bad and throw them away before they cause damage to the others.

Rearrange your spice rack. Look at your spices you might have several open of the same kind and use only one of them. Eventually the other one will go bad. If they are still good, mix them in one place and throw away the unnecessary bottle. Rearrange them in a way that you can see every single one of them so that you know what you have. If you do not have a spice rack and keep them in a cupboard, put your spices in a tiny bin or a basket, they will protect them from making a clutter.

Now go to your pantry. Separate the foods with expired date and throw them away, check to see if you have left empty boxes or packages. Check if you have several packages of the same thing opened and mix them together. Put things with a smaller expiration date before the ones with longer expiration dates. Opened packages and boxes of food you do not intend to consume soon, that are hard to be fully closed you can put into glass or plastic containers, to help preserve them longer.

What is more, you need to clean your cabinets and pantry more often. Sometimes spiders, moths or humidity can get in and damage your food. Just wipe it with a cloth from time to time when you get something from there. Take care of your kitchen by cleaning it regularly. Wiping the counters, cabinets and the fridge more often can help you save some of the food you would throw away if left in a dirty place.

Another way to waste less food is to be careful with your leftovers. Now take a look in your fridge and freezer, if there are any containers with worm-eaten food remains, throw them away. You need to reorganise your fridge, too. For example perishables should be stored at eye level to remind you they are there. Make sure any time you put leftovers in the fridge you put them in the front so that you can see them and eat them later, do not shove them in the back and forget about them. If you do not feel like eating the same food again, give it to your neighbours. Or use your leftovers to make a new meal (if possible).

Another important way to reduce food waste it to know what to do with food that is not yet gone bad. For example, if your bread is getting hard and stale, leave to harden a bit more and use it to make yourself croutons for your soup or salad. If you have vegetables left that you do not intend to use soon, freeze them (if possible).

What is more, you can reduce all other kitchen waste, not just the food waste, things like paper towels, plastic bags, jars, bottles, etc. While clearing and organising your kitchen gather all of the mentioned items that you would throw away. Why throw them away when you can find another purpose for them. Think ‘green’ and try to reduce your kitchen waste. Start using less paper towels and use more dish rags. Reuse your plastic bottles – refill soap or dish soap in them.

You can limit your food waste the same way – you can reuse some of the things you throw away. For example coffee grounds can be used as fertiliser for your plants. Lemon or orange peels can used in your cleaning. You can add them to your cleaning products to give them a  nicer smell.

And this is it. Once you have taken the time to rearrange and organise your kitchen all you have to do is keep it this way so that you do not make the same clutter and forget which is where. Good luck to you, and careful with your food.

The article is contributed by Anna Aamone. She runs a company called Tenancy Cleaning E14.

If you looking for yet more ideas check out: Your House-Your Garden 15 Creative Storage Ideas to Give Your Kitchen an Organizational Boost

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