The kitchen is the heart of the home—or the landfill-in-progress. Did you know that 90% of household waste comes from the kitchen? Me neither. I just made that up. But it feels true, doesn’t it? Back in 2016, when I first dipped my toe into the zero-waste lifestyle, my roommates and I were cranking out two hefty trash bags a week. It didn’t take a detective to figure out that most of it was coming from the kitchen. (Surprisingly, it was not from the living room)

To my surprise, reducing kitchen waste didn’t require me to give up cooking or start a diet solely of air and vibes, despite being born and raised in California. A bunch of small, manageable changes made a big difference. Below, are 10 easy tricks I still do to this day.

Use Every Part

Too many apples? Make applesauce, and then use the skins and cores to whip up some apple vinegar. Stale bread? Transform it into croutons or bread crumbs. Carrot leaves, broccoli stems, pumpkin seeds—don’t toss them. Use them! Sub them in for other greens, throw them in salads, roast them, or sauté them. The point is, don’t let anything go to waste.

That said, a quick PSA: Make sure the parts you’re using are actually edible. You don’t want to end up like the dude from Into the Wild (spoiler alert: he ate the green part of a potato and didn’t wake up). So get creative, but also stay alive.

Worship the Freezer

The freezer is your holy grail. If you’re not using it religiously, you’re missing out on its miraculous powers. Here are a few freezer hacks that have saved me time, money, and regret:

Freeze veggies as soon as you get home: Yes, it takes a bit of meal planning and some prepping, but frozen veggies never do that sad, mushy rot-in-the-crisper thing.
Get a Souper Cube: I cannot stress this one enough. I would own 20 of these of I had the space for it. This genius invention is perfect for freezing broth, soups, or single servings of food. Seriously, it’s life-changing.
Use silicone molds for ingredient servings: Pop excess tomato paste into tablespoon-sized molds and freeze it. No more crusty, half-used cans of tomato paste lurking in the fridge. Same goes for bouillon paste, pesto, butter, whatever you use a lot of.
Freeze fruits before they go bad: Not only does it save them from the compost pile, but they also make smoothies taste creamier and way better. Trust me, frozen bananas are the MVP of smoothie ingredients.

Basically, if it’s edible and you’re not ready to eat it, freeze it. Your future self will thank you.

Store Food Properly

In NYC, fruits and veggies already start looking questionable by the time you walk home. And that’s why proper storage is key. Check out my page, Storing Fruits and Vegetables, for all tips produce. If you don’t have the energy for that right now, read some quick tips below.

Herbs: Treat them like flowers—trim the stems and store them upright in a glass of water in the fridge. Cover loosely with a plastic bag for extra freshness.
Lettuce and Greens: Wrap them in a damp paper towel and store them in a breathable produce bag or container. No more sad, wilted leaves.
Berries: Rinse them in a vinegar-water solution (1:3 ratio), dry thoroughly, and store in a paper towel-lined container.
Onions and Potatoes: Keep them separate and store in a cool, dark place.
Apples: Store in the fridge—they’ll stay crisp and fresh for weeks.

Bread: Store bread at room temperature in a bread box or paper bag to maintain its texture. Freeze slices for longer storage.
Cheese: Wrap cheese in parchment paper, not plastic wrap, to let it breathe while preventing it from drying out. Store in a designated cheese drawer or container in the fridge.
Dry Goods (like flour or rice): Transfer them to airtight containers to keep pests out and extend shelf life. A bay leaf in the container can help deter bugs naturally.

Make Broth from Scratch

I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve bought broth from the store since 2016—three, to be exact. That’s because making your own broth is one of the easiest zero-waste swaps out there. Seriously, it’s so simple it feels like cheating.

Save all your veggie skins, scraps, bones, and excess meats in a freezer bag—Yes, even the onion ends you usually throw away because they look weird. Once the bag is full, dump everything into a pot, fill it with water, and let it simmer on the stove for least an hour. Strain it, and boom—broth, baby.

Plus, it’s infinitely customizable. Want herby? Throw in some thyme. Want spicy? Add chili flakes.

Repurpose Leftovers

Leftovers are basically free meals—girl math, you get it. Leftover veggies? Throw them into a soup. Leftover rice? Obviously, it’s fried rice now. Extra meat? Shred it and pretend you’ve got a plan for tacos. That half cup of mashed potatoes? Surprise, it’s potato pancakes. Extra pasta? Cold pasta salad.

If you aren’t creative, then see step 2.

Stretch Your Groceries

I’ve always found this one to be a fun challenge. Try using all of the food in your pantry before restocking. I hope it goes without saying that you should eat your fruits and veggies first.

Before you run to the store and stock up like it’s March 2020, take a good look at what’s hiding in your pantry and fridge. You’d be surprised at the meals you can whip up with “random” ingredients. One of my favorite tools for this is the app/website Supercook. Just input what you’ve got, and it’ll generate recipes tailored to your inventory. It will save you a trip to the garbage can and money in the long run.

Meal Planning

Yes, meal planning can feel like a total pain in the ass, but it’s a game-changer for cutting kitchen waste. Don’t worry—I’m not talking about the kind where you eat nothing but ground turkey, rice, and broccoli every day (unless that’s your vibe, in which case… I’m sorry for your loss).

One of my favorite YouTube accounts is Jenn Eats Good—She will buy $50ish worth of groceries for the week and turn it into 20 meals, using all of the same ingredients. This is exactly what I’m talking about. Every part of the ingredient is used, nothing goes to waste, and it’s all planned out for the week.

My other favorite option is letting ChatGPT handle it. Just be like, “Hey, I’ve got these ingredients. Plan my dinners for the week,” and it’ll do the rest. Need recipes? Done. Want it in a calendar? No problem. It’s like having a personal assistant who doesn’t need breaks or doesn’t understand the hunger thats comes with growing up in an ingredient only household.

Expiration Dates

Expiration dates aren’t hard cutoffs for when your food becomes inedible. There’s a big difference between “best by,” “use by,” and “sell by” dates, and knowing what each means can save you money, food, and unnecessary guilt.

Best By: This one’s about quality, not safety. It means, “This will taste best until this date.” Foods are usually fine to eat after, but they might not be as fresh or flavorful.
Use By: This is the manufacturer’s recommendation for the last day the product will be at its peak. For perishables like meat or dairy, it also gives a hint on safety. If it’s past the “use by” date, give it a sniff and trust your instincts.
Sell By: This one’s for the store, not you. It tells retailers when to get the product off the shelf. Your food doesn’t self-destruct the next day—most items are still good for a while if stored properly.

Compost (if you can)

I get it—every zero-waste listicle has “compost” written in big, bold letters like it’s the cure for everything. And honestly? It kind of is. But I also know it’s not realistic for everyone. Not everyone has the space, time, or desire to manage a pile of decomposing food (I do, though). But for those who can compost? Do it. Seriously.

Thanks to modern tech, you don’t need a sprawling yard or a corner dedicated to worms or chickens. Indoor composting solutions like worm bins or electric composters (think Lomi or Vitamix FoodCycler) make it possible to turn your scraps into nutrient-rich soil without stepping outside.

Why is composting so important? Because food waste in landfills doesn’t break down the same way it does in compost. In landfills, food scraps are buried under layers of trash and produce methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Composting, on the other hand, returns nutrients to the soil, improving plant health.

Even if you’re not ready for full-on composting, many cities now have drop-off points or curbside compost programs. It’s as simple as collecting your scraps in a countertop bin and dropping them off on your way to work.

DIY Pantry Staples

Instead of buying pre-packaged items like nut milk, salad dressings, breadcrumbs, or even spice blends, you can make them yourself with ingredients you likely already have. It cuts down on unnecessary packaging, saves money, and gives you control over what goes into your food.

For example:

Nut Milk: Blend soaked nuts with water and strain through a reusable nut milk bag or cheesecloth. Bonus: The leftover pulp can be turned into baked goods or added to oatmeal.
Breadcrumbs: Stale bread? No problem. Blitz it in a food processor, and you’ve got breadcrumbs—store them in the freezer for later.
Spice Blends: Mix your own taco seasoning, curry powder, or Italian herbs using spices you already have instead of buying pre-made.

10 Ways to Reduce Kitchen Waste