Green Blog
Nothing wasted: celebrating summer’s abundance
By Linda Frederiksen, Composter Recycler Class of 2025
It's the height of summer! Gardens and orchards are overflowing with the bounty of the season. Farmer's markets, fruit stands, and u-pick fields are all in full swing. With all that local abundance, now is a good time to talk about making the most of that bounty in ways that benefit your family, the community and the planet.
Instead of discarding food that is no longer considered useful (think wilted lettuce leaves, carrot tops, watermelon rinds or orange peels, for example), there are better ways to keep that organic material out of landfills, where it breaks down into methane gas.
Unfortunately, anywhere from 1/3 to 1/2 of everything we send to the landfill could have been composted. In throwing away those wilted lettuce leaves or stale bread, we are also throwing away pathways to reduce climate warming greenhouse gases.
By using food sustainably and composting inedible food, we maximize nutrients. Composted materials improve the soil for better growing conditions. Preventing food waste conserves resources used in production, storage, processing, and transportation. By supporting local farms and agriculture you are reducing emissions spent on transportation and storage.
How do we keep compostable organics out of garbage bins and landfills? How can we become better consumers and environmental stewards?
Here a few very simple steps to get started:
~ Support local farms
If you don't have a garden, check out the Vancouver Farmer's Market!
SNAP Market Match helps increase access to fresh, nutritious food by providing a dollar-for-dollar match, up to $25 per day, for SNAP customers shopping at the farmers markets. This program allows families to use EBT benefits to stretch their food dollars while supporting local farmers and food businesses.
~ Store fresh food properly to prevent spoilage
For example, wrapped washed and dried green leafy vegetables in a clean cloth and store in a sealed container. Learn the best ways to store fruit, bread, potatoes, nuts, and seeds for longer shelf life.
~ Shop your pantry first
Buy with intention. Shop your pantry, fridge and freezer for ingredients before going to the store. Create a meal plan. Make a list and stick to it at the store!
~ Find creative ways to use food scraps and leftovers. Check out a book from FVRL libraries:
PlantYou Scrappy Cooking: 140+ Plant-Based Zero-Waste Recipes That Are Good for You, Your Wallet, and the Planet by Carleigh Bodrug
You Can Cook This! Turn the 30 Most Commonly Wasted Foods into 136 Delicious Plant-Based Meals by Max La Manna
Zero Waste Chef: plant-forward recipes and ways to reduce waste for a sustainable kitchen and planet by Anne Marie Bonneau
~Preserve the summer harvest
Find the preservation method best for you – check out the National Center for Home Food Preservation to learn more about methods including drying, freezing, canning, picking, fermenting, drying and smoking.
~Volunteer opportunities
Learn how to volunteer with Urban Abundance to glean fruit trees and harvest produce from local resiliency gardens.
If you are passionate about building resiliency and sustainability within our local food systems, check out volunteer opportunities with the Clark County Food Bank and Latinos Unidos Floreciendo.
~ Attend an in-person class
Low Waste Chef workshop: Wednesday, October 8th 6:30-8pm. Learn more and register.
~ Compost all inedible food
To learn more about composting at home in Clark County, check out the Composter Recycler program.
If composting at your home is not possible, check out the We Compost Community Hub program. Free food scrap drop off is available to all residents at many locations across the County. You can even request a free kitchen scrap pail (while supplies last) to help transport material.
What may seem like small measures can have a big impact. Sustainable food use and composting food scraps on a local level matters. Start at home and spread the word, you can make a difference!
