By the Bronxville Green Committee

Nov. 23, 2022: Thanksgiving is a time for family, friends, gratitude and of course a lot of food! This year as you celebrate together, please consider starting a new tradition and recycling your food waste and scraps.

All those peels, pits, and bones are valuable resources that can be recycled into useful compost, returning nutrients to the soil so it’s able to produce more food. By diverting food from your trash stream, you are also reducing methane gas emissions and costs associated with sending food to landfills or incineration facilities.

The Village’s residential Food Scrap Recycling program launched last year and now has over 125 Bronxville households participating. It’s an easy and convenient program that allows residents to make a big environmental impact in everyday life. This is not backyard composting – it’s another recycling stream in your home with a proven and turn-key process.

The Village offers a kit that includes everything you need for easy and clean kitchen collection of all your food scraps and waste. It’s as easy as 1-2-3: Collect, Store & Transfer, Drop Off.

Learn more and sign up HERE.

Of course, recycling is the last step to preventing food waste. Here’s a quick refresher on Smart Food Waste tips! 

1) Smart Shopping

-Meal plan for the week before shopping

-Choose fresh produce that will last longer – see tips HERE.

-Add frozen fruits and vegetables to your cart – they’re less expensive, already chopped, and ready to use in between shopping trips

-Buy “ugly” vegetables. Retailers say they throw out misshapen fruits and vegetables because they think their customers won’t buy them.  Prove them wrong! The “misfits” are nutritious and safe to eat.

2) Smart Storage

-Declutter your fridge on a weekly basis and store items properly to ensure they’ll last longer – learn more on the USDA app

-Create an “Eat First” bin in the frig for food that’s getting old

-Freeze some food now if you might not eat it soon enough; be sure to label the container with the contents and date.

-Wash and chop fruits and vegetables as soon as you arrive home from shopping, so that they’re ready to use for fast meals and snacks.

3) Learn What Labels Mean

-“Sell By” is the date past which food vendors must stop displaying and selling the item. It is still usually perfectly safe to eat. 

-“Best If Used By” is an industry term to indicate best flavor and quality. It is still usually perfectly safe to eat.

Thank you for reading and, we hope, joining the program! We are thankful to be part of such an engaged community that is focused on protecting all we love about Bronxville. Happy Thanksgiving!

The Bronxville Green Committee is a volunteer organization that is part of the Village of Bronxville. We work to propose and implement environmentally sustainable programs in our community. Visit our website to learn more. Please consider joining our efforts!