Taking Steps to Recycle Packaging Waste

I’ve come to the realization that we cannot live without packaging. But I do concern myself with where packaging goes after I have used it. Many of us actively recycle our food packaging at home, at restaurants, parks and other public places. With many consumers having recycling infrastructure systems in their local neighborhoods, plastic, paper and glass packaging can be processed to produce new packaging and other second life products. Currently, 94 percent of U.S. residents living in communities with a population more than 125,000 have recycling programs available to them. Of this 94 percent, 73 percent have curbside recycling. However, not all packaging gets recycled and can end up in our Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) stream or other undesirable places. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that about 25.8 percent of all MSW is recycled, per their most recent report. While recycling 68 million tons of waste is nothing to scoff at, it would be great if our recycling rates could go higher. While increased and convenient access to recycling systems and facilities would help increase our recycling rates, we thought we’d talk to the “pro-recycling” organization, Keep America Beautiful, to learn more about the role consumers and the food industry can play in helping to reduce waste, increase recycling and support packaging sustainability efforts. Here are highlights from our Q&A with Keep America Beautiful: Q: What can you tell consumers about recycling rates for paper, plastics and cans? How do consumers positively or negatively impact these rates? A: We have less newsprint in the [recycling] stream today, so there is more recycling of corrugated cardboard for mail order. Another shift in the industry is “.” Many packages have been redesigned to use less material but remain just as strong. This is called lightweighting and it means redesigning a […]

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How To Store Fresh Produce, Maximize Shelf Life, and Minimize Food Waste

According to IFIC’s 2023 Food and Health Survey, 39% of Americans are looking to consume foods, beverages, or nutrients that help with weight loss/weight management and 32% want to consume items that help with digestive health/gut health.  Public health experts have cited that consumption of fruits and vegetables can help support both of these health outcomes. While we aim to fill our shopping carts with these produce items, knowing how to properly store them is also important. No one wants their healthy food purchases to go to waste! In this article, we’ll explore how to properly store several types of fresh produce so you can tackle three challenges at once: eating more fruit and vegetables, maximizing shelf life, and minimizing waste Reducing spoilage: The basics The most important factors to consider in maximizing our produce’s shelf life are: the condition of the produce when it’s purchased, the temperature at which the produce needs to be stored, the humidity and airflow levels of the storage space, and whether or not the food produces ethylene gas or is ethylene-sensitive. Ethylene gas causes produce to ripen and spoil more quickly, so ethylene-sensitive produce are especially prone to ripening and spoiling prematurely. Not sure whether or not your favorite fruits and vegetables are ethylene-producing or ethylene-sensitive? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered—and have tips for how to store them! Apples, peaches, and pears Choose firm apples, peaches, and pears without apparent bruising. Apples fare best when stored in a plastic bag or airtight container inside the refrigerator. Because they release ethylene gas, it’s best to keep apples stored in a bag or container inside a crisper drawer (if your refrigerator has one!) that contains other non-ethylene-sensitive fruits, such as strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries. In contrast, underripe pears and peaches should be stored outside the […]

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Top three strategies to reduce food waste.

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What You May Not Know About Sustainable Packaging

When we unwrap a birthday present, open a box of cereal, crack the pop top of a can of soda, or unravel a fresh cut of meat, we interact with different forms of packaging. Some of those may be single-use packaging, while others can be reused dozens of times. Of those single-use items, some can be recycled, some can be composted, and some need to go straight to the trash. Despite these differences, all types of packaging have some environmental impact. Companies and consumers alike are highly tuned into the sustainability emphasis that marks this generation, and they are doing their part to decrease their environmental impact. For consumers, this often means focusing on the three “Rs” of sustainability: reduce, reuse, and recycle. Meanwhile, companies may be involved in reducing waste by means of swapping out old materials for eco-friendly ones or using different shapes to redesign their single-use materials. All this boils down to an effort to create more sustainable packaging. Sustainable packaging sounds like a good thing, right? The short answer is: yes and no. While making efforts to change materials and product design can have a positive impact on the environment, all packaging in general has the potential to negate those effects to some degree. This is due simply to the inherent nature of packaging—specifically, that it is considered waste after the product it contained is consumed. Recyclables, eco-design packaging, and “smart” packaging are all designed with the environment in mind, but they do have faults, just as many innovations do. This doesn’t mean companies are going to switch back to glass and aluminum instead of plastics—oftentimes, that’s not feasible for the production volume of some products. But it does mean there’s a bit more learning required on our part as the consumer. Knowing how to dispose […]

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Nutrition Tips for Grocery Shopping During a Pandemic

We’re a few weeks into social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S., and I think it’s safe to say we’re all feeling a lot of feelings. One place that’s seen a lot of action is the food scene—grocery stores in particular have been running low on certain items such as disinfectant, toilet paper and some shelf-stable foods due to overbuying. It seems many of us are somewhere in between not wanting to hoard and wanting to be prepared in case we need to quarantine for an extended period of time. So how do we grocery shop safely, nutritiously, efficiently and thoughtfully during a time like this? There are many answers to this question, but because we are all juggling multiple priorities right now, the IFIC team thought we’d help by gathering a few of our best tips to make grocery shopping a little easier for you during this challenging time. Make a list… and stick to it While we don’t recommended hoarding or over purchasing food, it is important to have a clear idea of what you need before you enter the store. Remember, there’s no evidence that COVID-19 is spreading through food or food packaging, but it is spreading person-to-person via close interactions. Making a grocery list and sticking to it can help you get in and out of the store as efficiently as possible. Appreciate food in all forms We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: all forms of food can be healthful. Now is not the time to pit fresh versus frozen or frozen versus canned foods. Instead, make sure you have a variety of foods in each form in case you can’t get to a grocery store or don’t want to go to the grocery store as frequently as you normally […]

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How To Navigate the Center Aisles: Budget-Friendly, Nutritious Foods You Might Have Overlooked While Grocery Shopping

Are you one of those shoppers who tend to peruse only the perimeter of grocery stores, where fresh produce, dairy, and meat live? While there are undoubtedly benefits to shopping for fresh food, it’s worth knowing that there are many hidden gems to be found in the center aisles of grocery stores, where non-perishable and packaged foods tend to reside. In fact, if you’re avoiding the center aisles entirely, you may be missing out on a world of affordable and nutritious options that could help stretch your food budget and decrease your food waste. Yes, center aisles might seem daunting—with shelves frequently stacked high with an overwhelming selection of ready-to-eat and/or packaged goods. But fear not! Read on for tips to help you travel with confidence through the heart of the grocery store and make the most out of your shopping. So put on your adventure hat, grab a cart, and let’s explore the center aisles! Stop 1: Cereals and Oats Are you in search of budget-friendly breakfast options, convenient and healthy snacks, or essential ingredients for baked goods? The cereal aisle has you covered. Oats, grits, granola, and cereal can be packed with whole grains, which provide us with sustained energy and support our gut health. Many enriched cereals also contain essential nutrients, such as iron and B-vitamins. And reading the labels can help you choose cereal and grain-based options that are low in added sugar and high in fiber. Learn more about how to read food labels here. Stop 2: Nuts and Seeds Nuts and seeds are powerhouses of energy and nutrients! And research has also found that nuts and seeds can help lower blood lipids, which may reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Nuts and seeds are also great sources of healthy fats (more on this in […]

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Growing Upwards: Q & A on Vertical Farming

Over time, farming practices have evolved to use less energy, pesticides, water and other needed inputs to grow the foods we depend on. A type of farming that recently has grown in popularity is vertical farming. Building off the base concept of how greenhouses operate, this agricultural system allows for large-scale farming to occur on vertically inclined surfaces. Fruits and vegetables can be grown without the use of soil or natural sunlight, and the produce is often able to grow faster than it does in a traditional farm setting. A key advantage of vertical farms is that they can operate in urban areas and don’t require wide-open land; their vertical surfaces can be easily incorporated into a city’s existing structures and buildings. Vertical farming has now been used in locations where large-scale farming previously has not been possible, such as in urban spaces throughout Brooklyn, New York and Chicago, Illinois. Vertical farming’s small land usage and positive environmental benefits have the potential to increase sustainability, lower food costs, and increase accessibility and food security across the country. We’ve touched on vertical farming in previous posts, but to take a closer look, we caught up with expert Ricky Stephens, who works with Agritecture, a vertical farming and controlled environment agriculture (CEA) strategist group. Q: What is vertical farming? Vertical farming is the growing of crops in an indoor/controlled environment setting, in vertical stacks. Typically, vertical farming is done without using soil as the main practice. Instead, vertical farming uses practices like: hydroponics (growing plants in sand, gravel or liquid, with added nutrients but without soil), aeroponics (growing plants with roots suspended in air and nutrients delivered in a fine mist), or aquaponics (using the waste produced by farmed fish as nutrients for hydroponically grown plants). Q: Why do you think vertical […]

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Going Whole Hog on “Nose-to-Tail” Eating

A few months ago, a friend of mine invited me to celebrate her birthday at an upscale restaurant. This particular restaurants was known for one dish in particular: pig cheeks. I agreed, mostly because I couldn’t imagine how they would serve this dish to our table. When the meal arrived, we all stared (along with most of the restaurant) at what amounted to half of a pig’s head staring back at us. To some, reading this is enough to make you sick. But eaters, chefs, and butchers alike are starting to use meat from the entire animal, include parts you would usually discard. Like pig’s cheeks. This practice, sometimes called ‘whole animal’ or ‘nose-to-tail,’ exists for a few different reasons. Some find creativity and adventure in cooking and eating unique cuts of meat from animals. Others do it for claimed health benefits. Many folks feel it is one approach to being sustainable in our production of animals, not letting any parts of it go to waste. What are ‘nose-to-tail’ cuts? If pig’s cheeks aren’t quite your thing, you still have a range of options to choose from. Some examples of muscle-cuts include lamb neck, tomahawk steak, tri-tips, or even short ribs. On the flip side there is offal, if you have the stomach for it! That includes an animal’s entrails and organs, such as liver, heart, kidney, tongue, and even tripe (stomach) and bone marrow. Special health benefits? Many claim that eating the whole animal comes with health benefits. Meats, especially red meats, can be high in protein, B-vitamins, vitamin D, iron, and zinc. Any of these unique cuts could provide sources for at least some these nutrients, but it’s important to keep in mind total saturated fat and calories. The 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) recommends Americans select lean cuts of meat and to limit your portion sizes […]

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