Last week, I wrote about having to buy a half-pound bag of bean sprouts when I just needed a handful. This week, in making an encore entree out of cold sesame noodles, I went to the Asian grocer nearby and bought just the right amount.
Not only did I preclude any extra sprouts, which I never […]

I like different food items from different grocery stores. But, in an effort to not have food consume all of my free time, I’ve reined myself in and only go to two stores a week. As a result, I’m occasionally asked to compromise on price, quality or quantity. Last week, it was the last of […]

Well, The Fed is at it again, cutting interest rates. But could the recession sparking these moves “cut” the rate of food wasted?
As you’d expect, there’s less eating out in lean times. This article documents that trend from a trash collector’s perspective. Less business, means less food waste, right? Maybe.
Fewer diners equals less plate waste […]

With college basketball’s season reaching its peak, it’s only fitting that we talk some trash. Or rubbish. In The Rubbish Diet, British blogger “Almost Mrs. Average” completed her eight-week challenge to reduce what she sends to the landfill.
After composting and giving some items to her three-year-old for art projects, the family produced one item of […]

What do you do when you bite into an apple and find part of it is bruised?

This apple’s former owner dropped it on the ground outside of Trader Joe’s, where apples sell for 59 cents each. Personally, I eat around soft spots or prune them when I’m at home.
Sure, this kind of food waste isn’t […]

I attended the 8th annual Organics Recycling Summit yesterday in Massachusetts. It was a useful conference that focused on how to prevent food waste from going to landfills. Lots on composting and, my favorite, anaerobic digestion.
Among other things, I learned more about the impressive Massachusetts Supermarket Recycling Program, in which almost […]

The verdict is in on the NatureMill indoor composting system–not so hot. This review echoes the sentiment of Wasted Food reader Sandy who expressed her disappointment via comment.
It’s a shame that the NatureMill doesn’t smell so hot, because I was hoping it’d be an answer for urban dwellers without composting space. The contraption has real […]

For you science-minded folks, here’s the Table of Condiments that Periodically Go Bad. I love the idea and the title, but disagree with some of the cautious estimates. When was the last time you threw away ketchup after five months (or spelled it ‘ketsup’)?
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This blogger and I could be fast friends. Check out her […]

A reader recently sent me this article about Haitians so poor they’ve resorted to making cookies from mud, salt and vegetable shortening and I’ve been wrestling with whether to pass it along.
While I don’t want to be manipulative and say, ‘See, these kids eat mud cookies, you shouldn’t waste food,’ I sort of do. Now, […]

Boulder, Colo., is contemplating curbside food waste collection by truck. Alternately, they could reduce costs and emissions by sending around Ralphie (see right). Well, most of the emissions.
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This interesting New York Times piece examines North Jersey beefsteaks, the mostly male, meat-eating affairs. In it, the author (who also keeps an entertaining blog on […]