Food waste is something that is inevitable but how much food is wasted is something I think we can control. Port Coquitlam has gotten much better over the years with helping people recycle properly and making it so it is the law. I believe creating more of these quote on quote laws in our homes and communities will help us be more resourceful and help us support the environment. The first area we can improve on is the actual amount of food we buy. Meal planning is extremely important. This doesn’t mean you have to plan out each and every meal of the day and week, but having a rough estimate of lunches and dinners for the week would really help. By pre thinking what you need to buy and how much you need to buy, will help save you money and food! I know a lot of times we don’t know what to make so we buy a lot extra trying to be on the safe side – in case you might need those red, green and yellow bell peppers. So what you can do, is not buy in excess! Yes buy something extra that you think you need but not too much of it, otherwise it will go to waste. Secondly, I think communication at home and at any other place you visit is key. If you communicate with friends and family who you cook for, you will reduce food waste. In my household I know for a fact that sometimes my sister, my dad or I will eat out and forget to tell my mom or my grandma who will then make food including our portions. Yes there are leftover lunches but how long are you going to eat the same thing? Or until it spoils? Another way to save food is to preserve it! There are SO many ways to preserve food and I can think of a few that are cheap and convenient. A couple being canning, refrigeration, freezing and drying. Many of us have all these options open but haven’t thought about them. Lets take canning as an option, it really isn’t as tough as it seems. Lastly I think buying from the bulk section in the grocery store can really help to reduce the amount of food that is wasted. Buying in bulk helps you get just as much as you need instead of getting packaged foods that have excess plastic which is terrible for the environment, and with way too much or too less of the food you need. There are also plenty of options, just try walking through the section that we tend to avoid. As I said food waste is inevitable but it’s these little things that we can do to try and reduce, and eventually eliminate food waste.