5 Ways to Reduce Food Waste for Earth Day that will Slow Climate ChangeWe love all the amazing charity organizations all over the world. They take on the hard work that governments don’t have the capacity to do locally. They look at both small and big issues locally and globally and find the best ways to serve. One of our local friends here in Vancouver, Canada just shared their recent TEDx Talk that made us rethink how we use and consume food and how we can reduce food waste starting today. With Earth Day right around the corner along with Do1Give Day, we think this will give you the inspiration to give through food.How can we create less and reduce food waste?This will not be new news. There is enough food for everyone in our world but so much is wasted. Let’s make reducing your food waste and turning it into something good for our planet your call to action for Do1Give Day!A special thanks to Executive Director of the Food Stash Foundation: Carla Pellegrini for her insight, hard work, and 5 ways we can all take action starting today! At Food Stash Foundation, giving is at the core of what we do. Food Stash is a Vancouver-based charity established in 2016 that rescues over 130,000 pounds of good, surplus food from being wasted each month and gives it to the community in a few dignified ways.We give back to our planet and our community every day. Seven days a week, we pick up perfectly good food from grocery stores and wholesalers that isn’t being sold and we give it a second chance to still be eaten through our home delivery program for folks with disabilities. Our weekly market is open to everyone, and we deliver to our 36 community partners, who collectively serve over 12,000 people per week.Food Waste & Climate ChangeIn Canada alone, over 50% of the food we produce is never eaten! And food waste is a big driver of climate change. Think of all the energy and resources that go into growing, packaging, and transporting food. Then, if food ends up in landfills, it generates methane, a harmful greenhouse gas that is 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide.“Climate change is a daunting problem to fight. We’re all supposed to eat less meat, stop flying so much and conserve water…It’s pretty exciting that we can fight climate change simply by not wasting food!” This is what Carla Pellegrini, Executive Director at Food Stash Foundation, said in her recent TEDx talk about food waste. Here are five everyday ways we can all have an impact and give back to our planet.5 Everyday Ways to Reduce Food Waste and Fight Climate Change1. Buy the ugly produceA big reason why perfectly good food doesn’t get bought in the store and therefore often gets thrown out is because of what it looks like. Just because a carrot has two legs or an apple has a little bruise, doesn’t mean it’s not just as delicious as the more “perfect” looking fruits and veggies.2. Rethink date labelsOnly five foods in Canada expire and they’re things like baby formula and meal replacements. Expiration dates are about nutrition, whereas best before dates are about freshness. Most foods that we eat, including milk and dairy products, have best before dates that indicate when they are the freshest. That doesn’t mean they won’t still be good to eat after the date! Trust your senses – do the smell and taste test. If it smells, looks, and tastes okay, it’s probably perfectly good to eat!3. Plan your mealsMeal planning is a great way to make sure we don’t purchase more food than we need for a given time period. Before you go to the store, map out a couple of meals that are reasonable for you to make that week. Take a photo of your pantry and fridge so you only buy what you need.4. Organize your fridgeSometimes things can get lost in the back of our fridges! Make an “eat me first” section of your fridge so you can keep track of those leftovers that need to get eaten or the herbs that need to be used.5. Use your freezerThere are a surprising number of foods that do well in the freezer. If you know you’re not going to get around to eating something, toss it in the freezer and use it in your next soup or smoothie.We hope these tips inspire you to rethink how you shop and interact with your food. Climate change is a daunting problem to fight, but we can all make a difference every day by wasting less food.Join us on Thursday, April 25th for Do1Give Day. Use any or all of these ideas to take action. It takes Just ONE small act of giving to make a difference – it takes us all to change the world.Sign up here to get everything you need to be part of the global giving movement that’s changing the world.For more inspiring ideas for Do1Give Day check out these articles:50 Ways to Spread Happiness with Giving10 Ways to Embrace Do1Give Day in your School or Classroom Jacqueline Way+ postsBioJacqueline Way is dedicated to serving humanity with love and compassion every day. She is a committed advocate for global change, dedicating her career to philanthropic projects that create scalable and lasting impact. 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