Ending Food Waste: A Simple Fix

I am sick and tired of discovering moldy mozzarella behind the yogurt.

I am annoyed that that smell is actually the (now turned) bok choy I took pains to purchase from my local farm.

And I am so, so done with buying a dozen organic, free-range eggs, only to find a nearly-full carton in the refrigerator upon returning home.

Here’s my solution.

I have created a simple method to end food waste in my household, and I aptly named it The Eat-Me Box. Indeed, The Eat-Me Box is a visual cue that not-so-gently reminds me to, well, eat its contents first.

It’s laughably rudimentary. With prompting, my three-year old could construct something with greater aesthetic finesse. But The Eat-Me Box is highly effective: Since placing it front-and-center in my fridge two weeks ago, I have become hyper-aware of its contents. 

Here’s what I did. I found an old shoebox that begged repurposing and covered it with construction paper. Then I traced lettered stencils, cut them out and glued them on the box. Simple.

The whole creation process took a total of five minutes.

Then I cleaned out my refrigerator. I opened containers and sniffed leftovers. I examined everything in the produce drawer. I studied expiration dates. Ultimately, I put what was nearing expiration or was just generally quickly perishable within. 

I do not have hard data with regard to how much money I have saved. I have no real idea how much food I have kept from the landfill’s clutches.

But I do know that nearly one-third of all edible food gets thrown out, and I haven’t thrown out a piece of food in two weeks.

Try it out, and share with me your results!