Food waste is not just every household problem, it’s a global problem. Every home contributes to tons of food that goes to waste every year because of overbuying, poor planning, expired products before consumption, improper handling and storage etc.

We might think that when we dispose of food, we only waste our money that was spent on this uneaten produce. But the truth is we are also wasting Earth’s valuable resources like farmland and water, not to mention manpower. If every household will do their part to curb food waste, we would be able to solve the massive food waste problem.

Fortunately, we could do our part simply by organizing our pantry.

Clean and purge

Usually, we overbuy food especially those with extended expiration dates because we thought we don’t have any stocks at home. We might also overlook those products which are near their expiration dates because our pantries are cluttered. To organize our pantries, we have to clean it so we could see which of the products we often buy were left uneaten and are just expiring in our pantries.

When you clean and purge your pantry, you would also have the opportunity to be inventive and come up with recipes that would use your food that is about to expire. With this, you managed to save by not throwing away still edible food. Clean and purge your pantry before you do your grocery shopping every time to make sure that you are not buying what you still have and that you manage to buy what you need.

Categorize your pantry

After cleaning and purging your pantry, the next thing you need to do is to categorize it. Keep similar food items together to avoid overbuying and to make it easier for you to see what you lack and must be included in the next grocery shopping list.

If possible, try and buy products and produce that are organic to make sure you and your family are eating healthily. Categorizing your organic pantry based on how frequently you use the products and produce would make cooking preparation easier. Place the most commonly consumed food items in the front of your pantry for accessibility.

Use household items you already own to organize your pantry

When you start organizing your pantry, it would be tempting to buy all fancy containers, jars, wicker baskets, etc., if you have the funds for it of course, by all means. But if you are trying to save money, just be creative by organizing your pantry using household items that you already have.

Mason jars that you have collected over the years could be used as containers. Fruit baskets that you received when you were sick could be used to keep your fruits and bread. Plastic containers that you used to pack your lunch before could be used to store grains, nuts, breadcrumbs, etc. Use a shower caddy as well as a produce rack.

You’d be surprised about the numerous advantages of having an organized pantry and you would be doing your part in providing solutions to major problems that the world is currently experiencing.