Reducing Food Waste

As food prices continue to rise, it’s more important than ever that we come together as a community to tackle food waste!

The City of Fredericton is no exception to food waste which leads to economic strain on families, businesses, restaurants, food banks, and environmental harm from greenhouse gas emissions. Be a part of Fredericton’s future by learning more about this serious and preventable problem and making changes in your everyday life to help solve it.

Did You Know?

You could save up to $1, 300 a year by reducing your household food waste. According to Love Food Hate Waste, 2.3 million tonnes of edible food is thrown away every year in Canada with the majority ending up in our landfills.

Not only do individual households suffer from the economic cost of wasted food, but our environment suffers as well. Carbon emissions from food waste equates to an additional 2.1 million cars on our roads.

But don’t be discouraged! With your help, we can combat food waste and not only save money, but help our environment thrive. Keep reading to learn more about what you can do to a difference!

Learn more about food waste in Canada

Unavoidable Vs. Avoidable Food Waste

Some food waste can’t be avoided. This includes unsellable or inedible food like bones, vegetable peelings, eggshells, coffee grounds, tea bags, and more. Most food waste, however, is avoidable and this includes any food that gets discarded into the compost or garbage. This could occur for several reasons including food spoiling, passed expiration or best before dates, overbuying, forgotten leftovers, unfinished meals, and more. This can all be prevented with better planning, smarter storage, and creative meal preparation.

Tips to Reduce Your Food Waste

Plan Ahead

Check what’s in the fridge, freezer, and cupboards and plan your meals to use up what you have.
Use a shopping list to keep yourself focused on buying only what you need.
Use a portion planner to make sure you don’t buy or cook too much food.
Cook with frozen ingredients. They are just as nutritious as fresh ones, and they don’t go bad.
Eat perishables like seafood and meat earlier in the week and save the staples like pasta, dairy, and eggs for later.

Learn more tips and tricks for planning ahead.

Keep It Fresh

Use It Up

Soak wilted vegetables in ice water to revive them.
Understand the difference between a ‘best before date’ and an ‘expiry date’.
Try drying, canning, or pickling vegetables and fruit if you have too many.
Make stock with vegetable trimmings or animal bones.
Compost kitchen scraps.
Reorganize your fridge to keep perishables at the front and on the door.

Learn more tips and tricks for using up all the food you have.

Special Events

Understanding Expiration and Best Before Labels

Love Food Hate Waste found that 23% of food waste in Canada is directly caused by the misuse and misunderstanding of best before dates.

Best Before Dates: Intended for items with shelf lives of 90 days or less.

Often used for food with a shelf life of well over 90 days.
Best before dates aren’t determined by food safety regulations and are often 20% shorter than the true date when food quality is expected to decrease.
Contribute to confusion and unnecessary food waste.

Expiration Dates: These are only required on five types of food in Canada.

Formulated liquid diets
Meal replacements
Low-energy diet foods
Nutritional supplements
Human milk substitutes

These five categories are the only foods that should always be immediately discarded when the expiry date has passed.

Use your best judgement before throwing away food, especially if it has been unopened, frozen, or is less likely to spoil. Food like dairy is often good up to 2 weeks after the best before date if refrigerated and 2-3 months if frozen. Dry foods like pasta or flour can still be good up to a year past the best before date.

For more information on how to extend the shelf-life of your food, better understand best before dates, and how to assess your food, click here!

Student Food Waste

Students living off-campus often face unique challenges in managing food which can lead to more discarded food than any other group in the City. Students can struggle with busy schedules, limited storage, and unpredictable meal habits. Simple changes like meal planning, better food storage, and smarter shopping, students can not only reduce the environmental impacts of wasted food but also save money.

Ways to Save as a Student

Purchase smaller portions of perishable items like fruits and vegetables.
Make a grocery list with specific meals in mind and stick to it! This will help prevent overspending and impulse purchases.
Choose frozen or canned options for meals planned later in the week. This will ensure that food will not be spoiled before you get the chance to eat it.
Freeze your leftovers for later instead of letting them spoil in the fridge.
Cook only what you need. Using a portion planner can help avoid cooking too much and wasting leftovers.
Split groceries with roommates to reduce duplicate items and save space in the fridge.

UNB, STU and NBCC all have food resources for students in need. These range from on-site food banks to community gardens and breakfast programs. Visit your school website for more information.