How to reduce food waste in the UAE?
 Reducing Waste in the UAE

Food waste in the UAE is becoming a fundamental cause for concern. Although we in the UAE are passionate about food, we waste an astonishing amount of it annually. Every day, it would be the equivalent of each of us putting five bowls of rice in the trash! That’s a lot of food – 3.2 million tonnes of it to be exact.

Food waste accounts for almost 40% of all waste in Abu Dhabi, or about 400,000 tonnes. And the situation only gets worse during Ramadan; in Dubai, food waste is 38%, but over Ramadan, it jumps to a staggering 55%.

Wasted food leads to a loss of a significant amount of money. You might think twice before filling up your plate with more food after learning that over a thousand AED worth of food per person is wasted annually, amounting to billions of AED overall.

In the UAE, households create more than 30% of all wasted food. Luckily, this implies that we can make a difference by altering how we purchase, consume, and discard food. Here are six tips to reduce food waste in the UAE.

1.    Plan How You Will Store Food

Every food product needs a particular temperature or environment to stay consumable. It is critical to understand this, and basic procedures include determining whether there is enough room in the refrigerator for storage, determining whether airtight containers are available, etc. One of the best ways to stop food wastage is through this.

2.    Work With What You Have

Check expiration dates frequently, and cook meals with ingredients that are getting close to running out. It can lessen the amount of food you waste, and the various ingredient combos can result in some exciting dinners.

Also, keep in mind that, if properly stored, some items can remain safe for a few days after their expiration date. If adequately held, some things can remain safe to consume for several days after expiration.

Bread and other staple items frequently make up a sizable amount of food waste. Bread, however, is a remarkably adaptable item that we can use in crumbles, meatballs, cakes, broth, and, of course, bread crumbs for wrapping meat.

One of the most incredible foods to freeze is this one as well. Slices can be removed from the freezer one at a time and warmed in the toaster or microwave. Before tossing out bread just because it is slightly beyond its expiration date, think it over.

You should save any leftover food from a large supper. It might serve as either your lunch for the next day or just a quick snack. You can freeze most foods in freezer bags in individual serving sizes. You can use this for quick dinners when you don't feel like cooking in a few weeks.

3.    Buy What You Need

Although it seems straightforward, we frequently stockpile more than we truly need. We advise anticipating the required quantities and avoiding impulsive purchases. It can aid in not only avoiding impulsive food purchases but also ensuring that you consume the number of calories necessary for your healthy diet.

4.    Ensure Your Food Portions Are Reasonable

We frequently order too much food when we go out to dine. Our home meals are starting to suffer as a result. When preparing for guests and family, serve smaller quantities first, and then serve any other food to those still hungry.

You may even try serving food on smaller plates; when done on a smaller dish, it appears to be taking up more room on the scale, making the same amount of food appear larger.

5.    Compost Your Waste

Composting your organic waste allows you to replenish the soil's nutrient levels. Safely dispose of organic waste to save the environment.

Composting can reuse food scraps, which converts food waste into energy for vegetation. Not everybody has an adequate area for an outdoor composting system. However, many countertop composting solutions make this practice simple and available to everyone, including those with space constraints. 

A countertop composter is ideal for urban residents with houseplants or tiny herb gardens, while an outdoor composter may be suitable for someone with a sizable yard.

6.    Reuse and Recycle Food Waste

Many things you might throw away after using still have life in them. For example, you can use old lemons to cleanse your refrigerator's inside or sanitize surfaces.

Also, you probably produce a lot of used coffee beans if you can't imagine getting ready for the day without a warm cup of coffee. It's interesting how many uses there are for this frequently ignored remnant.

Knowing that coffee grinds provide excellent fertilizer for plants may please those with a small garden. The grounds are rich in nutrients that plants love, such as potassium, phosphorus, and nitrogen.

You can also find a terrific all-natural mosquito repellant in coffee grinds. Studies have shown that scattering used coffee grounds in grassy areas prevents female mosquitoes from laying eggs, lowering the number of these bothersome insects.

Conclusion

You can minimize, repurpose, and recycle food waste in countless ways. The practical advice in this post will not only help you reduce food waste in UAE, but it can also help you save time and money.

You can make a difference in preserving some of the most priceless resources on the planet by paying closer attention to the food your household wastes daily.

Making minor adjustments to how you shop, prepare, and consume food will help lessen your environmental effect. It need not be challenging.

You can significantly reduce your food waste, save time and money, and lessen the strain on Mother Nature with just a little effort.

For your food containers or other recyclables, RECAPP can help you to dispose of them safely and adequately for a sustainable future in the UAE by providing relevant services. You can start now by downloading the app and recycle at home but also at your office with the RECAPP  Business solution.