Food Waste Prevention Week 2025

Food Waste Prevention Week took place from April 7th through April 13th 2025. We spent the week raising awareness about food waste (a topic that is SO close to our hearts) by sharing tips and tricks to help you get excited and inspired to reduce food waste in your own life and community!

Curious about Food Waste Prevention Week’s origin? Check out this website to read more!

1.Donating Extra Food

Calling all packages of pasta, cans of beans, unopened jars of peanut butter that are sitting in the back of your pantry surrounded by other packages of pasta, cans of beans, unopened jars of peanut butter.

If you have extra non-perishable food items, consider donating them to a Little Free Pantry in your area. Little Free Pantries are community-based access points to free, non-perishable food (or other essentials) that are designed to address food insecurity and foster neighborly connection. Your non-perishables deserve better than the trash and someone in need could really benefit. 

Learn more about Little Free Pantry locations at their official website: Little Free Pantry.

2. “Ugly” Food

Here’s where we get a bit serious.

It’s time to stop ignoring the unjust bullying of the “ugly” fruits and vegetables at the supermarket.  Just because your tomato isn’t “Instagram worthy” doesn’t mean that it’s no good.

That potato that’s a wonky shape? Yeah, it’s still a potato. 

Bruised apples? Well, they’re still going to make a bomb pie!

Those bananas that have been THROUGH it? They’re sweetie pies. (AND they’ll make the best banana bread).

Do not pass up those lumpy squashes, and misshapen apples, or disproportionate carrots. They have feelings too! (Probably.)

3. Food Storage Tips

Have you ever been personally victimized by your refrigerator? You go grocery shopping, organize the inside of the fridge, and then suddenly it’s auditioning for 𝐻𝑜𝑎𝑟𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑠: 𝑅𝑒𝑓𝑟𝑖𝑔𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑟 𝐸𝑑𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛? The lettuce is brown, the strawberries have become sentient and there’s leftover pizza from…well when? Also, what kind of casserole was this originally?   Properly stored food makes a huge difference not only in the amount of food waste generated but also makes a huge difference to your wallet. Find tips and tricks of how to store food properly, creative recipes using scraps & other “past-it’s-prime” food, and even meal prepping tools at https://savethefood.com/

Save meals, save money, save the planet! 🌍

4. EPA Cost of Wasted Food

Speaking of saving money, The EPA has released a new report focusing on estimating the cost of food waste to American consumers.  Their research shows that the cost of food waste to each Unite States Consumer is $728. This isn’t even counting the money wasted on the labor to produce, package, transport, and sell this uneaten food. Jeepers.

Think before you buy & think before you throw! Save yourself some of that money. Read the full EPA report here.

5. Composting

Food Waste Prevention Week is all about raising awareness about how much food we waste and also encouraging better habits: buying only how much we need, storing our food efficiently, and yes indeed,️ 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 .     Food scraps can be transformed into a nutrient-rich soil for the garden or flower beds... instead of being sent away to a landfill and rotting, creating methane gas. It’s not just about wasting less – it’s about using everything better. 

Recycling Connections is happy to help you with your composting journey – whether you’re a composting icon or just getting started; we’re here to help.  (Also, ask us for recommendations on compost bins…we know of an awesome one.)

6. Take the Food Waste Reduction Pledge

Let's commit to continuing what we've learned! I pledge to:

• Donate Unused Food (𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑖𝑡 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑒𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑜𝑛𝑒)
  

• Not Discriminate Against “Ugly” Food (𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟, 𝑙𝑢𝑚𝑝𝑦 𝑝𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑜 & 𝑤𝑒𝑖𝑟𝑑 𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑜𝑛!)
  

• Store Food Properly to Make it Last Longer (𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑤𝑒’𝑟𝑒 𝑡𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑦𝑖𝑛𝑔 “𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡’𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑠𝑚𝑒𝑙𝑙?” 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑤𝑒 𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑟𝑖𝑑𝑔𝑒.)
  

• Be Aware of How Much Needed & How Much Purchased (𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑘𝑒𝑒𝑝 your 𝑏𝑎𝑛𝑘 𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑒𝑚𝑜𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠)
  

• Compost Those Food Scraps! (𝑜𝑟 ℎ𝑖𝑡 𝑢𝑝 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑒𝑐𝑜-𝐵𝐹𝐹, 𝐵𝑢𝑐𝑘𝑒𝑡 𝑅𝑢𝑐𝑘𝑢𝑠 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝐿𝐼𝑉𝐸𝑆 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑓𝑜𝑜𝑑 𝑠𝑐𝑟𝑎𝑝𝑠.)

What are some other ways you can reduce food waste? Every day is a chance to be a slightly weird but wildly effective sustainability legend.

So no, we’re not done. We’re just getting started.