Nobody likes to see food go to waste, especially during the holiday season. A few simple tips can help you reduce waste and save money, the Washington State Department of Ecology says.

When food ends up in the trash, it means wasted money – but once that trash ends up in a landfill, it also produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas. To help holiday hosts reduce the amount of food they waste, the Washington Department of Ecology is launching a holiday edition of its “Use Food Well” food waste prevention campaign.

Each year, Washington wastes half a million tons of edible food  –  and the holidays are peak season for food going to waste.

The Use Food Well campaign focuses on preventing food waste through simple steps like smart shopping, meal planning and proper food storage. The campaign website usefoodwell.org now includes holiday food saving tips and recipes.

Step number one in preventing food waste? Proper storage. For instance, keep raw foods separate from cooked foods, and from fruits and vegetables at all times. Food staples like flour, sugar and other dry goods should be stored in a cool, dry place and sealed in containers or storage bags to maintain their taste and freshness.

“Food waste is bad for the environment and for our pocketbooks,” said Peter Lyon, Ecology’s solid waste program manager. “It’s not small change. When people make choices that help use food well and reduce waste, it can add up to real savings, especially during holiday celebrations.”

Recent data from ReFED, a nonprofit that tracks food waste across the U.S., shows that the average family wastes about $3,000 per year.

When food waste and other organic material enters a landfill, it produces methane – a greenhouse gas that has 80 times the climate impact of carbon dioxide in the short term. In Washington, about 16% of methane emissions and 2% of carbon dioxide emissions come from organic material decomposing in landfills. The most effective way to reduce greenhouse gas production in landfills is to prevent food waste and other organic material from reaching them in the first place.

Washington is partnering with the Pacific Coast Food Waste Commitment  –  a group of West Coast states and cities, and British Columbia  –  to work together to cut food waste in half by 2030.

This past spring, Ecology kicked off a partnership with Safeway stores by introducing a food waste reduction campaign to help inspire change. Select Safeway and Albertson stores will promote the Use Food Well messaging again in spring 2025 during National Food Waste Prevention Week.

“Farmers, restauranteurs, chefs, and grocery stores all bring a different perspectives and ideas to the table that are vital to achieving our goal of wasting less food,” said Jade Monroe, a food waste reduction expert with Ecology. “Partnering with Safeway allows us to put tips and tricks right in the grocery aisle.”

Ecology is also working with celebrity chef Joel Gamoran and his company Homemade. Chef Joel is a passionate food waste reduction culinary ambassador for the campaign, who will share holiday-leftover inspired recipes and provide tips on how to save money through proper storage and creative cooking, the department said.

More information about food waste reduction in Washington, as well as tools and resources to help people make smart choices are available at usefoodwell.org.

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