Zero-Waste: Food Preservation Basics Everyone Should Know

ByStephanie Holmes, 09/20/2021

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From 1st to 7th September, it's zero-waste week all over the world, but do you know how to make the most out of left over foods?

While preservation can be a tricky practice, it's essential to know proper food storage—specifically, which foods need to be stored where and for how long—in order to prevent food waste. For anyone trying to adopt a more zero-waste lifestyle (which, let's be honest, we should all be striving to do so), here are some food preservation basics everyone should know.

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Your guide to proper food preservation

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, roughly 1.4 billion tons or 1/3 of all foods produced globally for human consumption is lost or goes to waste each year. What's more, the US is at the top of the list for throwing out the most food per year: about 40 million tons (80 billion pounds), or approximately 219 pounds of waste per person.

Despite these dismal statistics, it's never too late to do something about food waste, especially on an individual level. One of the biggest reasons we discard food is because of spoilage. This may result from improper food storage, overstocking up on groceries, misunderstanding expiration labels or even just plain laziness and indifference.

To take steps toward a less wasteful world, here are some basic food preservation tips everyone should know.