Food Waste Reduction

It is estimated that approximately one-third of all food produced worldwide is wasted. Food waste is when perfectly good, safe-to-eat food gets thrown away.  It includes things like leftovers, fruits and veggies that are thrown away because they are not perfect and expired products.

Avoid Food waste

Below are some ways to reduce food waste.

Farmer's markets

Farmer's Markets are located all over the County and state. Their fresh produce comes directly from local farms. Many have competitive prices with grocery stores and most accept WIC or offer vouchers for qualifying residents.

Community farms and gardens

Urban Farms, Community Gardens, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), and other local resources are affordable sources of healthy food. Some deliver to your home, and others have pickup centers across the County. Usually, they are very affordable, but they provide whatever is being harvested that week. This can challenge some households to try new vegetables and recipes while reminding us that local foods change with the seasons.

  • Use or download the USDA's Free FoodKeeper app to look up how to store different foods for maximum freshness.
  • Read about the difference between terms like "use by," "sell by" and "freeze by" to understand food labels and dates. Food labeling is voluntary for most products and primarily reflects quality, not safety (with the exception of infant formula).
  • Purchase quality food storage containers.

  • Learn about meal planning, smart shopping and strategically storing food by reading the EPA's at-home tips.
  • Designate a spot at the front of the fridge as the "Eat First" zone. Only snack from the "Eat First" zone.
  • Use a dry erase marker or washable food label to date all perishable items in the fridge. Both are easily removed with an alcohol-based cleaner, such as common "all purpose" cleaners.
  • Move older items to the front shelf. Use them for meal planning, snacks or a quick meal after a hectic day.

Avoid Food Waste During Holidays

Ways to prevent wasting food at your next holiday gathering include:

  • Thinking about what you served last year and adjust accordingly.
  • Using a proportion calculator to help you get your servings correct.
  • Storing your food properly.
  • Freezing your leftovers.

Request An Electronic Toolkit

Email rwhite@baltimorecountymd.gov to request a "Love Food, Not Waste" electronic toolkit that can provide resources for your organization to encourage food donation and antifood waste practices on social media. The toolkit includes:

  • Social media campaign calendar
  • Social media post
  • Newsletter articles
  • Recipes for leftovers
  • Food waste card and refrigerator magnet
  • Donation do’s and don’ts
  • Shopping list guide
  • Composting social media post

To have access to some of the resources quickly, download a condensed version of the "Love Food, Not Waste" toolkit until you have received the full toolkit by email.