Follow these tips to save money & avoid food waste

Blog Post

April 7 - 13, 2025 is Food Waste Prevention Week. Reducing food waste is a great way to keep your wallet full and positively impact the environment.

Why - and how - to prevent food waste

Did you know that 71 percent of the food that Oregon households throw away could have been eaten? But Oregonians want to change that: 80 percent say reducing food waste is important and personal actions make a difference. (Read the full study.)

Save money: Making the most of food and leftovers can save the average Oregon family of four a pile of dough - over $1,600 per year!

Keep energy and resources from going to waste: For every stale piece of bread that gets tossed, all the energy, water, natural resources, and carbon emissions that were used to grow the wheat, mill the flour, bake the bread, and transport it to the store gets tossed with it.

Small changes make a big difference: There are easy ways to prevent food from going to waste, like freezing bread and then popping a slice in the toaster. Bread stays fresh for monthsin the freezer, compared to days at room temperature.

3 tips to try

1. Plan ahead

Planning your meals ahead of time is one of the best ways to save money and reduce food waste since you buy only what you need.

• Plan your meals based on your schedule - if you know you'll be busy one night, try doubling a recipe to have two meals ready to go. Mark the days you're going to eat out first, then plan the rest of your meals for the days that are left.
• Pick a day to go grocery shopping - having time set aside to shop can help you stick to your list of what you need, and it saves time and energy when you're tired at the end of the day. Plus, "shopping your fridge" first can help you avoid buying what you already have, leading to less waste.
• Don't forget your leftovers - if you know a favorite meal makes many servings, schedule the leftovers into your meal plans.

2. Donate extra food before it goes bad

Is your pantry overflowing with more food than you know what to do with? Do you have excess food from a business event? Don't let that food go to waste!

Donate your extra or unwanted food to Urban Gleaners! This organization gets food to people in need right here in Portland.

Learn more about how to donate food.

3. Compost what can't be eaten

If you have a compost bin at your house, business, or apartment building, make sure to get all your peels, eggshells, and plate scrapings into the compost instead of the trash.

In addition to providing nutrient-rich fertilizer for farms, composting food waste also reduces harmful greenhouse gases. When you throw food in the garbage, it goes to the landfill where it creates methane gas, which worsens the climate crisis. This is why ensuring all of your food waste gets into your compost bin - rather than your garbage - matters. (Learn more.)

What you can do:

• Live in a house, duplex, triplex, or fourplex? Take a moment to review the listof what is and isn't allowed in your green compost bin. And find tips to make composting easier.
• Live in an apartment or condo? If your building doesn't compost, review what to consider before setting up compostand then give us a call before talking with your property manager.
• Work at a café, restaurant, or grocery store? If you don't already have compost, review our tips for setting up compostor contact us for help. If you already have compost service, take a moment to review the listof what is and isn't allowed in your green compost bin.

More ways to get involved

Come to the Farmers Market this Saturday

Cooking challenge and more

"CHOPPED" Volunteer Day with Milk Crate Kitchen: On Tuesday, April 8, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., join 50 members of the Portland community in a "Chopped"-style volunteer cooking challenge with Milk Crate Kitchen.This is an exciting chance to assist in preparing meals for those in need while engaging in an enjoyable and educational cooking competition using rescued ingredients. Register in advance.

Lunch and Learn with Milk Crate Kitchen and Lloyd EcoDistrict: Learn about this chef-driven nonprofit that rescues food and feeds the hungry with free, rescued food. Find out how they got started and ways they build community with nutritious meals that divert waste. This in-person event offers a free lunch event and is open to all. Register in advance.

Webinars are happening all week long. They highlight efforts across the country to reduce food waste.

Online resources offer tools and tricks to prevent food waste.