Reducing food waste (and waste from food packaging).

​Of course, the most important way to reduce food waste is meal planning and portion control. When you make a recipe the first time, you might find its enough for 1.5 meals for your household - so make a note on the recipe - then you have some choices:

1. if its freeze-able you can make double quantity, eat one portion and put 2 portions in the freezer and look forward to 2 cooking free days soon
2. if its best eaten on the day - reduce the quantities (multiply all ingredients by 0.67) for next time you make it
3. if it will keep a few days in the fridge, make another oversized meal and keep both "extra bits" for a cooking free day.

... but what about all those little jars of sauce etc which must be "used within 4 days" - I found nearly all can be frozen in 2 teaspoon portions in an ice cube tray (scrape out the jar with a silicon spatula) and then decant the frozen cubes into a labelled tub or jar in the freezer. That's fewer jars cluttering up your fridge shelves and discovering fewer "furry jars" - where you need to decide: shall I scrape this out and wash it up (which I ought) or put it straight in the bin (which I want to)!
My newest trick, thanks Meg - see photo - is to help keep shop bought herbs for far longer in my fridge. I fill a glass with water, put the herb stalks in the water (as if they are cut flowers) and then store in one of the fridge-door shelves. They last so much longer. (FYI placing them on the top shelf of the fridge, near the light, brings a quick death to the herbs).
Much food comes with too much packaging - so consider buying ingredients from https://ecofreaksuk.com/?v=79cba1185463 in Lee on the Solent. Take along your empty jars + lids, they weight them, you refill and then they calculate the cost. 
Eco freak's sister shop is the trash cafe in Gosport - they make sure food from supermarkets, which would otherwise go to landfill - is eaten up. https://trashcafe.com/?page_id=1024 They also deliver hampers, much recommended by some GFFOE members. For Fareham residents there are https://www.fareham.gov.uk/leisure/community_pantries.aspx 

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Gosport Shop – Trash Cafe
49a Stoke Road, Gosport, PO121LS – ( Not a Cafe) open for shopping. Mon, Tue, Thur & Friday – 10-12am. Wednesday 5-7pm. Saturday 10:30am-1pm. Sunday 10:30-12:30
trashcafe.com

Eco Freaks Emporium – Zero-Waste Store
Coconutty Soapnut Shampoo Bar ( 90G ) £ 6.00 Organic Cotton Wool Balls £ 2.30; Organic Aduki Beans £ 0.01 per g/ 75p per 100g; Friendly Soap Tea Tree & Turmeric Soap Bar £ 3.00; Organic Mulberries £ 0.01 per g/ £1.48 per 100g; Mr Organic | Dairy Free Lasagne Sauce | 1 x 350ml £ 2.90; MAKE YOUR OWN CANDLE KIT – MIMOSA & MANDARIN £ 16.99; VEGAN Salted Caramel Fudge (100g) by Fudgin ...
ecofreaksuk.com