Today we are going to talk about how to repurpose food scraps. Why? I am passionate about reducing food waste because it is an avoidable problem that ANYONE can help solve. Did you know that Canadians waste 40 percent of all their food? Of that, 63 percent is still edible, equating to $1,100 of household earnings lost annually or 2 percent of the national GDP through food waste alone. Meanwhile, there are families and entire communities that struggle to put food on the table each day.
This is unacceptable, and it is up to us to reduce our food waste, balance our supply chains, and rebuild a sustainable food system. One way to do that is to repurpose some of those food items being thrown out each day.
What counts as food "waste"?
An important thing to note is that there is a difference between food waste and food loss. As defined by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, food waste is:
the decrease in the quantity or quality of food resulting from decisions and actions by retailers, food service providers and consumers.
Food waste can occur in many ways, including:
- Removal of produce from store displays because they do not appear “normal” in size, colour, shape, etc.
- Disposal of foods because they are nearing their “best before date” or “expiry” even if the foods are safe for consumption.
- Leftover foods from restaurants, hotels, etc. that accumulate in large quantities as a result of events or regular practices.
In contrast, food loss refers to the actions taken by food supply chains, as opposed to food waste where the actions are determined by retailers, food service providers and consumers. In other words, actions during the supply chain (harvest, slaughter, etc.) that result in foods being discarded before they reach retailers.
Today we are going to focus on food waste because, as consumers, this is the problem we directly contribute to, and represents where we can take the most action at the individual scale.
What waste can we reduce?
Food waste falls into two main categories: avoidable and unavoidable food waste. Avoidable food waste includes food items that are still edible, such as dairy products, lumpy produce or other items that are not dangerous to consume yet are still discarded. Unavoidable food waste includes those that have realized their utility, no longer providing nutritional benefit or purpose. This can include eggshells, fruit and vegetable peels, bones and other foods we don’t normally eat.
I do not believe that food waste can be unavoidable. In fact, I think all food items can be repurposed in some way, shape or form. That’s why I want to share ways for you to repurpose your food scraps, or “unavoidable” food waste. Without further ado, let’s check out how to repurpose food scraps in five ways.
1. Good for your garden
Food scraps are amazing for your garden because they can replenish nutrients, providing your plant with healthy, natural fertilizer. Eggshells are a great example. They provide calcium, which is important for building the cell walls (like the “skeleton”) of plants to make them strong and healthy! To use eggshells in your garden, you first want to grind them into small pieces or powder using a blender, mixer, or mortar and pestle. The finer the pieces, the faster they will decompose – eggshells take a while to break down.
Sprinkle them into the soil of your potted plants, or till them in the soil of your outdoor garden. If you do decide to use eggshells in your garden, it’s advised that you first wash and allow the shells to sun-dry before handling (they can carry salmonella). No, they won’t smell!
Other great food items to use in the garden include coffee grinds, banana and orange peels to repel various insects and animals while providing your garden with extra nutrients.
2. Haven't started your garden yet? Now you can.
Onions, garlic, root vegetables, lemongrass, avocados, leafy greens, the list goes on. You can propagate these plants simply using the leftovers you may typically throw out! For onions, simply place the root end in enough water that it covers the root base entirely, and watch it grow within a few days. For garlic, plant a full clove in soil root-down so that a sprout can emerge from the top. Avocado plants are a bit more complicated (but still doable for anyone!) and usually don’t bear fruit, but this tutorial can help you get started.
3. bones to broth
While I no longer eat meat, my family does, and I always encourage the family to save the bones after Christmas dinner or from a roast chicken to make bone broth. It’s very simple to make. All you need to do is boil the bones in water and spices for several hours; you could also make it in an instant pot or pressure cooker. Bone broth has many health benefits, can be used in a variety of recipes, or enjoyed on its own when you’re feeling ill. For a detailed guide on how to make bone broth, check out this page.
Fret not, plant-based eaters: you can also make vegetable broth! This recipe shows you how to make use of frozen vegetable scraps to make broth. Since it also requires you to use whole items (garlic, onion etc.) you could make a soup simultaneously and then save the extra broth for other recipes.
4. Rinds and peels make amazing Tea
I got inspired to do this by my Airbnb host when I attended the Leading Change Forum in Vancouver. While they weren’t making tea, each morning they boiled lemon and ginger scraps on the stove. I did some research and found out it is a common aroma/natural air freshener technique, which got me to thinking, why not make a tea out of this?
You can use most fruit peels to make a yummy tea – hot or iced. Lemon, ginger and orange peels are really popular for making tea, but you can mix and match with other fruit peels, spices (think cinnamon, clove, anise, etc.). Simply bring all the ingredients to a boil in a pot of water, allow them to simmer for about an hour, then discard the peels and you are good to go!
5. no more buying breadcrumbs or croutons
We’ve all been there: buying more bread than you realize, freezing half loaf after half loaf until you have entires loaves’ worth of bread in your freezer. For stale bread, don’t throw it out! Use it to make breadcrumbs that can be used as a coating in many recipes, or croutons for salads. You can make croutons by cutting stale bread into cubes and toasting them in the oven with olive oil and other spices, or blending them in a food processor or blender to make breadcrumbs. You can also use a grater to make breadcrumbs.
5. banana peels elevate your baking/coffee game
Banana peels surprisingly have many uses beyond the garden. One fun one is to infuse milk (including non-dairy ones) for your baking and caffeine needs. Ever seen banana extract? It’s similar to that. Simply add peels to hot milk and allow them to steep overnight, then remove the peels and you have a yummy infusion! Make sure to wash the peels before doing this.
final thoughts
As you can see, there are simple ways to repurpose or reimagine food items that otherwise would have gone to waste. Especially for those of you who do not have access to municipal organics waste disposal in their homes, repurposing food items is one of the best ways to act sustainably in the kitchen.
Now that you know how to repurpose food scraps like a pro, be sure to check out these other ones about food systems and waste:
- The future of our waste
- Top 10 zero-waste swaps for everyday life
- How to eat sustainably in the winter
- 5 easy, healthy and sustainable ways to eat well on a student budget
- What is food insecurity?
What are your favourite ways to repurpose food items? Are there specific food items you struggle to find a second use for? Let me know in the comments!
Until next time.
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