Lane County Master Recyclers Are Encouraging Community Members to Make Good Use of Leftover Holiday Food this Season.
Food waste now represents the single largest component of Municipal Solid Waste reaching American landfills and incinerators. According to an annual statewide waste composition study performed by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), more than 450,000 TONS of food waste enter Oregon landfills and incinerators each year – nearly 10 percent of that goes straight to Short Mountain Landfill right here in Lane County!
Here are some tips you can use to ensure that food waste doesn’t happen to you.
Carefully Calculate
With so many guests and so many items to serve, sometimes it's difficult to determine how much food you should prepare for your holiday feast. Whole Foods Market has developed a handy Servings Calculator to help ensure you offer plenty of food without being left with too much. You can either use the online calculator or download a PDF version for printing. Go to: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/holidays/entertaining/calculator.php to view Whole Foods Market Holiday Entertaining Servings Calculator.
Freeze Freely
Before you begin cooking for Thanksgiving, make room in your freezer. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), cooked turkey lasts four months in the freezer – plenty of time to use up your leftovers without eating turkey for every meal.
Package Meals
Take the work out of eating leftovers by storing a little of everything in several meal-sized containers. Then when you want a quick meal, grab one of the containers from the refrigerator or freezer and heat it in the microwave.
Reuse Cleverly
After gorging yourself on a Thanksgiving meal, you and your family may want a little time away from the leftovers. Try spicing them up by using them to make other meals – use ham to make split pea soup; or mix your ham and potatoes with eggs, bell peppers, and onion for a breakfast frittata. You can use turkey to make comforting homemade turkey-and-noodle soup or turkey potpies. For more clever leftover recipes, visit cdkitchen.com.
Send Goodies with Guests
How better to handle leftovers than to give them to your Thanksgiving guests? Divide and conquer storage of your extra food by sending some home with friends and family. More tips can be found at The Home Know-It-All
Compost the Rest
Purchase and cook less. Compost the rest. Repeat! Home composting can significantly reduce the amount material you put out on trash day. By composting food scraps and food soiled paper you may even be able to reduce you trash can size or reduce the frequency of trash pick-ups. Go to: www.lanecounty.org/compostathome for more information about the benefits of home composting and learn how to get started.
Cooking for Compost
This webpage features delicious recipes that are designed with composting in mind. Go to: http://earth911.com/news/2010/11/15/cooking-for-compost-thanksgiving-edition/
Out to Dinner?
If you eat out this holiday season look for restaurants the display the Love Food Not Waste decal. These Eugene businesses are committed to diverting food waste for composting. Go to: www.eugenerecycles.org for more information.
Remember to Donate
Eugene Mission 541-344-3251
Food for Lane County 541-343-2822
Need Extra Dishes for your Party?
Borrow from friends and neighbors or Lane County Waste Management Division can loan you a Waste Free Picnic set (inspired by Master Recyclers). Go to: www.lanecounty.org/EventRecyclingbinsanddurables to learn more or contact Kelly Bell at kelly.bell@co.lane.or.us or call 541-682-2059 to make a reservation.
Waste Free Holidays Campaign
Each year at this time Master Recyclers invite community members to celebrate the season of giving by reducing, reusing and recycling waste that is typically generated at the holidays. The Waste Free Holidays Campaign will highlight one theme per week through the first week of January. Go to: www.lanecounty.org/lessisbest to view all eight Waste Free Holiday themes plus tips and resources you can use to help create a waste free and truly enjoyable season. More will be added as the season progresses so check back often for inspiration and announcements of waste free events in our area.
Contact: Kelly Bell, Lane County Master Recycler Program, 541-682-2059 or Kelly.bell@co.lane.or.us
Amber Fossen
Public Information Officer
Lane County Government
125 E. Eighth Ave.
Eugene, Oregon 97401
541.682.3718
541.359.9143 (cell)
www.lanecounty.org
www.lanecounty.org/LCSocialMediaSites