Stop wasting food. With a few simple tricks, you might save extra money

Food scraps need not be hastily discarded. Many can still serve a purpose, offering not only a solution to reduce food waste but also a way to ease your household budget.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimated that in 2019, 66 million tons of wasted food were generated in the food retail, food service, and residential sectors. About 60% of this waste ended up in landfills. Another 40 million tons of wasted food were also generated in the food and beverage manufacturing and processing sectors​ (US EPA)​.

Tackling this issue begins with individual actions. Given that much of this food waste happens at home, understanding how to repurpose food scraps could inspire meaningful change and resonate more than overwhelming statistics. What if we explored practical yet innovative ways to use these scraps instead?

Leveraging food scraps doesn’t have to be complicated. Here are several creative ideas to transform what might typically end up in the trash into something useful.

• Bread pieces. Stale bread can be turned into breadcrumbs, croutons for soups and salads, French toast, or even a base for casseroles. Discover more about these transformations.
• Leftover herbs. It’s not widely known that pesto can be made from more than just basil. Wilted or slightly dried herbs like coriander or parsley can find new life blended with olive oil.
• Parmesan rinds. Often tossed without a second thought, these cheese remnants are treasured by Italian chefs, used to enrich soups and risottos with a deep, savory flavor.
• Citrus peels. These can be turned into a natural cleaning solution when combined with vinegar, or even an aromatic oil. Simply immerse the peels in olive oil for a month, then strain.
• Bones. Savvy cooks know bones are key to creating rich, flavorful broths, a principle that applies to fish scraps as well. It’s a resource too valuable to waste!