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Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency
Connecting Communities through Composting
G R O W U L S T E R G R E E N
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Home Guide
to Reducing
Food Waste
This booklet was created by Ulster County Resource Recovery Agency, made possible with the support of
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and New York State Environmental Protection Fund.
999 Flatbush Road Kingston NY 12401 • 845.336.0600 • www.UCRRA.org • @UCRRA
Ulster County For over 30 years, Ulster County Resource Recovery
Wasting Food Wastes Everything
Resource Agency (UCRRA) has been developing and imple-
Recovery Agency menting sustainable waste management programs
for Ulster County. UCRRA is a solid waste authority,
Our mission is to protect public benefit corporation, and permitted solid waste 40%
public health and the facility with commercial Transfer Stations in Kingston of food produced in
environment and to the USA (63 million tons)
and New Paltz, NY. UCRRA manages all municipal
is wasted each year.
promote sustainable solid waste generated in Ulster County and offers That’s about 20 lbs of food
materials management many programs and services in pursuit of our mission. per person each month.
practices in Ulster County
by efficiently managing UCRRA Organics Recovery Facility
solid waste materials UCRRA operates an industrial composting operation 19% U.S. cropland • 18% fertilizer
that opened in 2012 as a small pilot project. The A family of four can
with a focus on resource
Organics Recovery Facility processes food scraps from
save over $1500/year 21% fresh water are dedicated to
grow this wasted food each year.
90%
conservation. by eating more of the of us throw away food
commercial partners like restaurants, businesses, and food that is already before it has spoiled.
schools. We manufacture a high quality, sustainably- in their homes! The value of
produced U.S. Composting Council STA certified wasted food is estimated 1 in 8
compost product that we sell in bulk and in 1 cf bags. to be $161 billion/year Americans face food insecurity.
globally.
Feeding America
Recycling Outreach Team At the landfill, food waste estimates that more than
The UCRRA Recycling Outreach Team is available degrades anaerobically
and creates Methane,
15% of the 2.5 million New Yorkers
to help improve or implement waste reduction U.S. waste stream is food. are food insecure.
This Guide book will help programs for residents, apartment buildings, a greenhouse gas.
you Rethink Food Waste! It is the largest component
businesses, and schools! Our team provides (22%) of the material
free professional and knowledgeable buried in landfills.
Table of Contents programming, and is dedicated to Currently in New York State:
Wasting Food Facts 1 providing essential services to not it’s estimated that Food scraps
Pathways for Food Loss 3 only manage waste, but to 300,000 tons of are a valuable natural
reduce, reuse, and rethink
food is wasted material that can
Proper Food Storage 4 each year, and In 2022, New York will be the sixth be recycled by
waste. Please contact less than 3% is
Freeze in Freshness 6 US state to mandate food waste composting.
UCRRA at 845-336-0600 diverted from
Interpreting Food Labels 7 diversion and donation of excess
to ask about our disposal.
Play with Your Food 7 edible foods for the designated
programs.
Shop S.M.A.R.T. 8 large waste generators.
Food Recovery 9 In Ulster County,
Food Storage Cheat Sheet 10 each truck sent to the landfill travels almost 500 miles roundtrip.
By composting and reducing organic wastes, we can reduce waste
transport and disposal, which conserves fuel, saves money,
To learn more about local and state-wide organics and reduces the County’s carbon footprint!
recovery laws, visit www.ucrra.org/about-us/laws 1Pathways for Food Loss Everyone has a role to play in preventing food loss!
On the Farm – Food is wasted before it ever
leaves the farm! Feeding America estimates
3 million tons of food goes unharvested each
Food Processing – Food waste at
year because it doesn’t meet quality, size, or
this point of the food supply chain is
cosmetic standards. Farmers can make a dif-
generally low, due to high efficiency in
ference by partnering with gleaning groups
food product manufacturing processes.
to harvest and donate ‘imperfect’ produce –
Waste occurs from trimming off edible
they’re just as delicious and nutritious!
or inedible portions of food, and from
cleaning machinery. Food processors
can do more by composting their food!
During Transportation and Distribution
The average American meal travels 1500
miles before reaching your dinner plate! This
system is inefficient and leads to spoilage Retail Centers – Grocery stores and
due to improper refrigeration, or damage distribution centers generate 8 million
during transport. A long distribution chain tons of food waste every year in America.
also means a larger carbon footprint! Rejected shipments, overstocking and
outdated products, or damaged and
mislabeled packaging are some of the
reasons why food gets wasted in retail
Food Service – Restaurants generate
centers. Food retailers can make a
11 million tons of food waste every year in
difference by reducing the prices of im-
America. Over preparing, large portion sizes,
perfect produce, by creating smaller food
over purchasing, and improper storage can
displays, and by donating surplus food to
lead to food loss. Restaurants can make a
feed hungry people, and farm animals.
difference by donating food to local meal
centers (at no risk to them under liability
protection laws), and by training culinary
staff with better skills to utilize the entire At Home – Certain shopping and
plant when cooking. Restaurants can cooking habits contribute to food loss.
incorporate blemished or bruised foods into Americans tend to impulse-buy and do
prepared meals or value added products. not plan meals or shopping lists. Con-
Composting food scraps is also a key solution! fusion about food labels causes people
to discard food that’s still safe to eat. Poor
storage and food prep skills also lead to
food loss that can easily be avoided.
Learn more at www.refed.com and www.feedingamerica.org
2 3Practice Proper Food Storage Temperature
Bacteria grow most rapidly between 40°F and 140°F so your refrigerator
should be set at 34°F -40°F. Your freezer should be set at 0°F or below. The
Your Fridge and Food Safety thermometers let you know your appliance is set at the right temperatures.
Keeping your refrigerator clean and
organized helps minimize food spoilage
and reduces your risk of food borne illness.
Clean refrigerator surfaces with hot, soapy The Upper Shelves
water and diluted vinegar solution. Keep 38° The upper shelves are slightly
your fridge smelling fresh by placing an warmer than below, and are a
opened box of baking soda on a shelf. great place to store items that
don’t have a high safety risk.
Great for leftovers, drinks,
Do not overfill your refrigerator.
ready-to-eat foods like yogurt
The fridge needs air to circulate to
and cheese.
be efficient. Allow enough space in
between foods so that cold air can
circulate all around.
The Lower Shelves
Foods with a higher safety risk
are better off in the coldest
Cooked Leftovers
section. The bottom shelf is
Leftovers are safe for 3 to 4 days
the coldest place in the fridge.
in the refrigerator.
Store meat, poultry and fish
here in trays to prevent them
from dripping.
Doors
The refrigerator door is the warmest
part of the fridge. This is a good place
Humidity Drawers
for condiments. It is not a good place
Put most veggies, particularly
for anything that is even moderately 0° those that might wilt, in the high
perishable. Though models may have
humidity drawer. Put fruits in the
a compartment for eggs in the door,
low humidity drawer along with
it’s probably a better idea to keep
vegetables that have a tendency
them on one of the main shelves.
Freezer to breakdown and rot.
Frozen food stays safe longer, High Humidity
Raw Meat though quality may suffer Carrots, leafy greens, spinach,
Prevent juices from leaking by storing with lengthy storage. Wrap arugula, basil, broccoli, etc.
on a wrapped plate or in a sealed and label meat, fish and
container. poultry that you plan to freeze. Low Humidity
Pears, apples. grapes, avocados
peppers, mushrooms, berries, etc.
4 Learn more at U.S. Department of Agriculture www.foodsafety.gov 5Interpreting Food Labels
Are you throwing out food that is still safe to eat? Most date labels
indicate peak freshness, not food safety.
Freeze in Freshness
USE BY
04/22/22
Freeze your leftovers! Follow directions for each type
FREEZE BY
of food. Prepare food at your convenience and have it Y
BEST IF USED B SELL BY A “Use-By” date 11/15/2023
ready to reheat or thaw and use. 04/22/20 20 11/15/2021 is the last date
recommended for A “Freeze-By” date
Choose the right container to protect flavor, color, A “Best if Used A “Sell-By” date the use of the pro- indicates when a
moisture; use flexible freezer bags, aluminum foil, or rigid By/Before” date tells the store how duct while at peak product should be
plastic or glass containers like canning jars. Lids/covers indicates when long to display the quality. It is not a frozen to maintain
should close tightly! Leave extra headspace to allow for a product will product for sale for safety date except peak quality. It is
expansion during freezing. Some foods may need to be of best flavor inventory manage- for when used on not a purchase or
thaw completely before removing from its container. or quality. ment purposes. infant formula. safety date.
Visit www.USDA.gov to learn more.
Label each container with the type of food, date,
number of servings, etc.
Don’t overload the freezer, which can slow down
the freezing rate and can affect quality. Leave space
Play with your food! Re-invent your food
scraps& leftovers
between packages so air can circulate freely. Once frozen,
you can stack packages close together. • Make a quiche, soup, stirfry, frittata,
or a bruschetta to use up veggies. • Brown bananas “past-their-
Foods that do not freeze well: cucumbers, celery, prime” can be delicious as breads
• Cook ‘root to leaf’. Transform herb or pancakes.
lettuce, potatoes, cooked pasta, sour cream, cheese, stems or leafy greens of veggies
mayo, fried foods, fruit jelly. into a pesto, sauce, or salad dressing. • Sheet pan hash (utilize leftover
veggies)
• Save onion/garlic skins, vegetable
ends, etc. in a container in the
freezer until you’re ready to Hero ingredients
make a vegetable soup broth! Stock up on these to help use
leftovers/veggies: rice, pasta,
• Make potato chips from potato eggs, onions, diced tomatoes,
peelings. and chicken or veggie stock.
Visit the National Center for Home Food Preservation to learn more https://nchfp.uga.edu/
6 Find recipes & more at www.lovefoodhatewaste.com 7Shop S.M.A.R.T. Food Recovery & Helping
Save Money And Reduce Trash Your Neighbors
It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3 Many families struggle to have access to fresh, healthy foods. Re-gifting (donating) is one of
the 7R’s and is an important zero-waste strategy that can help mitigate hunger while also
reducing waste!
t
o y fo r the nex How You Can Help:
o enj sa
ls y o u ’d like t ily members a
mea am • Volunteer to harvest fresh produce donated by local farms (gleaning)
sid e r what lt with your f
1. Co n ns u
ays. Co sation. • Volunteer to pick up and distribute produce to our community’s
seven d r table conver enu! food pantries, shelters and feeding programs
ne m
fun din n the nt in
i t e d o w
s c av e nger hu u • Help out at your local food pantry or soup kitchen
Wr on a ts yo
u i n h and, go ry of ingredien need • Help prepare & deliver meals to the homebound
ur men nvento ms you
2. With yo en! Take an i ote of the ite find food
ch
your kit ave, and mak
en
m e
ck to
nu. Che se them in
• Donate produce from your farm or garden directly to your local food pantry,
or contact Ulster Corps for help with distribution
y h u r
alread cording to yo first – and u
ac p
to buy s to be used u • Purchase a share from your local CSA to be donated to your
e e d
that n u. ping
local food pantry
your m
en
gr oc e ry shop o
a ad t
w n ! Making t h at can le
it d o y s
se -bu and
Write you avoid impul ps you save time
3. s
list help od, and also h
fo
el These foods are always good to donate:
e!
wasted ce in the stor • Non perishable shelf stable dry goods, • dry fruits
o n
money Don’t forget sealed and in original packaging, not • popcorn kernels
bags !
reusable shopping past expiration date. • shelf stable milk alternatives
• Canned items such as fruits and such as soy, almond, rice, etc.
veggies, beans, tuna, soups, juices. • dry herbs, spices, & non salt spice blends
• Packaged foods such as breads, cereals, • seeds like sunflower, sesame, & pumpkin
flour, sugar, nuts, dry beans, lentils, • healthy oils such as olive, grapeseed, etc.
pastas, coffee, and tea. • natural sweeteners such as honey
• Perishable, fresh foods (based on the • Easy to open (pop top cans)
storage capability of the donation • Puree foods such as apple sauce, sweet
center) potato, pumpkin, etc.
Avoid: spoiled food, candy or soda, no home-canned foods, pet foods
Check out the Dinner Party Guestimator to calculate portion sizes and servings! To learn more about volunteering, gleaning, or to find a food pantry near you,
8 Visit www.savethefood.com/guestimator visit www.ulstercorps.org 9Food Storage Cheat Sheet
It’s Good To Know…
Generally, once a condiment bottle Salad greens - Store with a damp
or food jar is opened, it should be cloth in an airtight container in
refrigerated. the high-humidity drawer of the
refrigerator.
Spices stay at peak freshness
for up to 2 years! Tender herbs (basil, cilantro, parsley,
dill) - place in a cup with water, like
Eggs stay fresh 3 to 5 weeks after you would display fresh cut flowers.
sell-by date; up to 12 months in a Place a sandwich bag over the jar of
freezer; or 1 week if hard-boiled. herbs. Store in the fridge. *Keep basil
on the counter!
White flour stays fresh for 1 year
in your pantry; or 2 years in the Hardy herbs (rosemary, sage, thyme,
refrigerator. chives) - arrange into a single layer
on a damp paper towel, roll them up,
Place apples and ripe avocados in then transfer to a sandwich bag in
the fridge – they’ll last longer! the fridge.
Citrus - Store loose in the low Mushrooms should be used as quickly
humidity crisper drawer. as possible. Do not wash until ready
to use. Store on the lower shelf in
All fruits – don’t wash until you’re the refrigerator.
ready to eat.
Potatoes and onions need cool, dark,
Cheese - Wrap leftover cheese loosely dry, well-ventilated storage but
in wax paper, not plastic. should not be stored together.
Storing in hanging sacks is a great
Wrap celery in aluminum foil so it idea, it encourages ventilation.
stays fresh longer!
Learn more tips at www.SAVETHEFOOD.COM
www.UCRRA.org • @UCRRA • 845.336.0600You can also read
