Author Topic: Food Waste Throw Down!  (Read 22243 times)

1967mama

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2164
  • Age: 57
  • Location: Canada
Re: Food Waste Throw Down!
« Reply #50 on: May 24, 2015, 04:52:57 PM »
@PJ, LOLOLOL!  Yes, this is a rarity in my house! But there was a surprise Costco pie =large, brought for dessert by our company so the brownies didn't get eaten at dessert. It was a big 9x13 batch, so the next day, most had disappeared but I decided to freeze the last few stragglers for my son's lunches. Its actually a wickedly delicious recipe with 5 eggs, 8 squares of chocolate, 1 cup of butter and a few other delicacies!

PJ

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1427
  • Age: 53
  • Location: Toronto, Canada
Re: Food Waste Throw Down!
« Reply #51 on: May 24, 2015, 06:50:46 PM »
I'll be right over ... where do you live???

Nancy

  • Guest
Re: Food Waste Throw Down!
« Reply #52 on: May 25, 2015, 06:17:29 AM »
I just found out that there are a lot of uses for banana peels. How did I not know this!? Since I can't yet give up eating bananas, I"m going to maximize my use of them.

I'm going to freeze my apple core, so I can make apple scrap jelly (with no sugar) after I've eaten enough apples. I'm hoping I don't end up with too many food projects going...
« Last Edit: May 25, 2015, 03:01:15 PM by Nancy »

kathrynd

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 412
Re: Food Waste Throw Down!
« Reply #53 on: May 26, 2015, 01:33:06 PM »
I don't feel I can commit to this yet.  Another zucchini in the rubbish today plus some left over veggies.  What system do you all use to make sure you use up food before it goes off?

You may need to adjust your meal plan for the week.
or modify the recipe to include it.

For instance, if I had a leftover zucchini, I'd include it in a stir fry, salad, chopped up in a homemade chili.
A cake/muffins  made with zucchini is delicious.

Use up the veggies that have the shortest shelf life first.

somecobwebs

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 72
Re: Food Waste Throw Down!
« Reply #54 on: May 28, 2015, 12:57:19 AM »
I'm going to freeze my apple core, so I can make apple scrap jelly (with no sugar) after I've eaten enough apples. I'm hoping I don't end up with too many food projects going...


I do this, and it always comes out super yummy! Although I use sugar.

Started saving bacon grease for the first time the other day, and mmmm, using it to sautee spinach.... yum :)

Also, just processed a TON of bitter oranges - froze peel, pulp, and juice separately for marmalade and marinade. If that works well, there are many more on this tree waiting for me...

Mikaelus

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 26
Re: Food Waste Throw Down!
« Reply #55 on: May 28, 2015, 01:29:02 AM »
Last year I was at the supermarket and saw they had Chicken Giblets on sale.

"Wow!" I thought" That's a great price for half a kilo of meat. I wonder what a giblet is... ah, who cares? Chicken is chicken, right?"

I know now...

I made a curry and put the giblets in that. Luckily I used a lot of curry powder and the giblet flavour didn't come through too much, so the curry was edible, but I wouldn't recommend it...

wintersun

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 327
Re: Food Waste Throw Down!
« Reply #56 on: June 17, 2015, 05:14:06 PM »
I am joining for a two week period.  I have made a list of all the food that is perishable and made a plan so I will keep you posted.  I am going to eat it all up and check the fridge each day.  I am going to combine this with the eat down the pantry challenge.

MMMaybe

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 390
Re: Food Waste Throw Down!
« Reply #57 on: June 17, 2015, 05:31:42 PM »
Last year I was at the supermarket and saw they had Chicken Giblets on sale.

"Wow!" I thought" That's a great price for half a kilo of meat. I wonder what a giblet is... ah, who cares? Chicken is chicken, right?"

I know now...

I made a curry and put the giblets in that. Luckily I used a lot of curry powder and the giblet flavour didn't come through too much, so the curry was edible, but I wouldn't recommend it...

Just the memory of the smell of chicken livers is enough to make me shudder. My mother used to cook them.

Redstone5

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 510
  • Location: BC
Re: Food Waste Throw Down!
« Reply #58 on: June 19, 2015, 10:11:22 AM »
i just squeezed several lemons to save the juice.  What can I do with the rinds?

Zest them? Although that might be hard to do if they are already juiced.

This is a neat idea:
 Lemon AP Cleaner
Also known as lemon vinegar, this stuff is awesome at cutting grease and disinfecting. To make, simply place a bunch of lemon peels in any sized glass jar (mason jars would work great). Pour white vinegar over. Put the lid on and let it sit for 2 weeks (I promise, it’s worth the wait). Then strain the liquid. Combine this with water (using a 50/50 ratio) and then use as you would your normal all purpose cleaner.

from this list :) http://www.thankyourbody.com/31-ways-to-use-lemon-peel/?PageSpeed=noscript

This is a wonderful suggestion! I've never tried this but we have buckets of orange peels I need to use up.

wintersun

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 327
Re: Food Waste Throw Down!
« Reply #59 on: June 22, 2015, 06:38:42 PM »
So far so good!  I have not been having typical meals but I am enjoying them a great deal, eating odds and ends up.  My husband loves this kind of food…for a little while, but not long term.

Daisy

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2263
Re: Food Waste Throw Down!
« Reply #60 on: June 22, 2015, 10:43:36 PM »
While making a potato salad with homemade mayo (mayo recipe learned from this forum - using a whole egg and not wasting away the egg white), I popped the potato peelings in the oven for some potato chips. I washed that down with a smoothie made from cantaloupe seeds and pineapple cores that I had recently salvaged from a fresh cantaloupe and pineapple. I added previously chopped jalapenos I had frozen in ice cubes leftover from a previous recipe into the potato salad.
« Last Edit: June 22, 2015, 10:45:36 PM by Daisy »

wintersun

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 327
Re: Food Waste Throw Down!
« Reply #61 on: June 24, 2015, 05:21:25 PM »
Oh dear, I tossed a lamb chop today.  I was so looking forward to it, so I saved it..for too long.  And with it came the realisation that I don't really know how long things will stay fresh in the fridge.  I know cucumbers turn into science experiments quickly, but I need to figure out the other stuff.

fiscalphile

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 39
Re: Food Waste Throw Down!
« Reply #62 on: July 04, 2015, 08:44:49 AM »
I had leftover taco meat and a little shredded cheese, plus a little leftover homemade marinara sauce.

I stirred it all up (plus rice) and stuffed it into green peppers ( on sale at grocery store), and baked.

Ended up with a delicious meal for two for the costs of 53 cents plus leftovers!

Sent from my XT1049 using Tapatalk


swick

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 2877
Re: Food Waste Throw Down!
« Reply #63 on: July 04, 2015, 11:41:00 AM »
Love the stuffed pepper idea!

I found a recipe that suggests adding pickle juice to sautéed mushrooms about a 1/4 of a cup (or to taste) Wow are these awesome! Gives the 'shrooms a bit of a ranch flavour. I made a whole batch and didn't get around to making anything to eat them with :) Then I made a batch the next night for family burgers and everyone loved em.

swick

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 2877
Re: Food Waste Throw Down!
« Reply #64 on: July 05, 2015, 06:47:55 PM »
made some mashed potatoes using the cooking water from some steamed broccoli (the stems were too tough to eat so I threw them is the water while steaming the tops and pureed them. Strained out fibrous bits and used the liquid) Turned out really tasty!

Also made enough stir fried greens to last a week. My mom has spicy Asian lettuce coming up EVERYWHERE in her garden...guess some seeds got into the compost. They are too spicy and big to use as lettuce, but quickly stir-fried in some garlic, they rock!

stripey

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 768
  • Age: 124
  • Location: Australia
Re: Food Waste Throw Down!
« Reply #65 on: July 06, 2015, 12:57:36 AM »
Any red or white wine dregs get put to use making wine vinegar (yes, my wine vinegar is the bastard lovechild between red and white). DIY wine vinegar is way tastier than what's usually on offer in the stores. If there's anything left over at a party I'll usually take that home too.

I admit that I make apple cider vinegar (with a mother) with store-purchased apple cider rather than using apple cores and peels like a more frugal person would.

All mirepoix/soffrito-type vegetable peelings, skins, tops and tails end up in stock in this household, as well as any bones on hand.



Nancy

  • Guest
Re: Food Waste Throw Down!
« Reply #66 on: July 06, 2015, 01:44:59 PM »
I've had an abundance of brassica greens from my garden, so I've been making stir fries, pesto, and blanching and freezing a lot. I'm making collard, kale, broccoli, and rutabaga chips later tonight.

ahoy

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 147
Re: Food Waste Throw Down!
« Reply #67 on: July 15, 2015, 03:10:42 AM »
I try to not throw away any food.  I will freeze immediately onions, peppers etc if I have bought to much.  Finally started making vegetable stock lately as I don't compost.  The stock is working well so far. 

mustachepungoeshere

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2404
  • Location: Sydney, Oz
Re: Food Waste Throw Down!
« Reply #68 on: July 26, 2015, 11:58:21 PM »
I've been hoarding the crumbs from the bottom of Weetbix packets, thinking I must be able to put them to use (but not actually motivated enough to do anything as taxing as Googling it).

The thread inspired me. I Googled it.

In case anyone has the same issue with Weetbix crumbs, they can be mixed into:
- smoothies
- pancake/pikelet batter
- crumble toppings

Might even give Weetbix crumbs their own jar in the pantry now...

kathrynd

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 412
Re: Food Waste Throw Down!
« Reply #69 on: December 24, 2015, 06:16:48 PM »
I've been hoarding the crumbs from the bottom of Weetbix packets, thinking I must be able to put them to use (but not actually motivated enough to do anything as taxing as Googling it).

The thread inspired me. I Googled it.

In case anyone has the same issue with Weetbix crumbs, they can be mixed into:
- smoothies
- pancake/pikelet batter
- crumble toppings

Might even give Weetbix crumbs their own jar in the pantry now...

I also save all crumbs from cereals, or crackers.
Usually use them, when I make meatloaf or meatballs.
Delicious

alleykat

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 425
Re: Food Waste Throw Down!
« Reply #70 on: December 24, 2015, 09:34:44 PM »
I waste a lot and this is one area I hope to improve. One of the ways is to just buy less. I buy way too much thinking I am going to use it all and I never do.  I even bought a juicer thinking whatever veggies I don't get too, I will just throw in there but sometimes it is more of a hassle than anything. The cleanup that is.

However, I am determined to stop wasting foods of all kinds. 

MaryByrne

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 36
  • Location: Oregon
Re: Food Waste Throw Down!
« Reply #71 on: January 12, 2016, 10:26:29 AM »
I saved broccoli stalks from cutting a crown up into stir-fry to make broccoli cheddar soup sometime this week. Never made it before but saw someone else say they did this on the forum and remembered it right before my mom cut them.

swick

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 2877
Re: Food Waste Throw Down!
« Reply #72 on: January 12, 2016, 01:09:39 PM »
I saved broccoli stalks from cutting a crown up into stir-fry to make broccoli cheddar soup sometime this week. Never made it before but saw someone else say they did this on the forum and remembered it right before my mom cut them.

Depending on the age of your broccoli, you can also peel the stalks and eat them as well! They taste great in stir-fries! Growing up, I didn't really care too much for the tops, but my mom would always give me the stalks as a treat while we were making supper, I thought they were the best! :)

Just cut/peel off enough of the hard outer bits until you get to the tender core in the middle! Although making soup is always good too!

alleykat

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 425
Re: Food Waste Throw Down!
« Reply #73 on: January 13, 2016, 04:27:25 AM »
I don't feel I can commit to this yet.  Another zucchini in the rubbish today plus some left over veggies.  What system do you all use to make sure you use up food before it goes off?

I am having the same problem.  However, I am allowing myself one last time to just toss things when they go bad, but I am trying to change my buying habits.  I have good intentions when I am shopping but it never translates back to real life. 

I am not giving up because I hate wasting food, although, you would never know it.  I just have to align my buying with reality. My reality is I don't cook as often as I think I am going to.

Nancy

  • Guest
Re: Food Waste Throw Down!
« Reply #74 on: January 13, 2016, 05:08:59 AM »
At least you know where you can improve, alleykat! That's some great self-awareness.

I have a lot going on in my fridge right now. Nothing has been wasted, but I'm going to freeze lunch sized portions of some leftovers before they go off.

The only thing that gets me these day are fresh herbs. I know you can freeze them with a bit of oil in ice cube trays. I think I need to do that with 75%  of the herb bunch as soon as I buy it.

plainjane

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1645
Re: Food Waste Throw Down!
« Reply #75 on: January 13, 2016, 06:55:58 AM »
I am not giving up because I hate wasting food, although, you would never know it.  I just have to align my buying with reality. My reality is I don't cook as often as I think I am going to.

When work is running at a reasonable pace, then I cook as planned.  If work is busy, then at the end of the day I'm tired, and I get home late. That's when having prepared ingredients is so important.  We do grocery shopping on Sunday, and that is when I have the most emotional energy around food preparation.  So I harness as much as possible of it right away.  Have you read _The Everlasting Meal_?  It was a great eye opener for me and helped me understand what I had been doing haphazardly and plan for it more.

I set up a menu before I go shopping (looking at the flyers), which also helps.  Complicated meals go towards the beginning of the week and towards the end of the week, we're eating more out of the freezer (e.g. soups I prepared earlier) or pantry.  That way, if we need to move a meal at the beginning of the week, there is already a low-effort meal planned for later, so we just swap them.  E.g. this week Monday was supposed to be a roast chicken meal, and later in the week it was meat pies from the freezer.  But I had to stay quite late on Monday.  So we swapped in the meat pies, moved the chicken to Tuesday, and everything else moves along one day.  (And the chicken carcass went into the freezer for stock, and the fat went into the freezer for potstickers or potatoes.)

Right now my problem is potatoes.  The price for them loose is silly high, but in bags I have trouble using them up fast enough.  I think we're halfway through and they're already sprouting.

alleykat

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 425
Re: Food Waste Throw Down!
« Reply #76 on: January 13, 2016, 09:24:56 AM »
I am not giving up because I hate wasting food, although, you would never know it.  I just have to align my buying with reality. My reality is I don't cook as often as I think I am going to.

When work is running at a reasonable pace, then I cook as planned.  If work is busy, then at the end of the day I'm tired, and I get home late. That's when having prepared ingredients is so important.  We do grocery shopping on Sunday, and that is when I have the most emotional energy around food preparation.  So I harness as much as possible of it right away.  Have you read _The Everlasting Meal_?  It was a great eye opener for me and helped me understand what I had been doing haphazardly and plan for it more.

I set up a menu before I go shopping (looking at the flyers), which also helps.  Complicated meals go towards the beginning of the week and towards the end of the week, we're eating more out of the freezer (e.g. soups I prepared earlier) or pantry.  That way, if we need to move a meal at the beginning of the week, there is already a low-effort meal planned for later, so we just swap them.  E.g. this week Monday was supposed to be a roast chicken meal, and later in the week it was meat pies from the freezer.  But I had to stay quite late on Monday.  So we swapped in the meat pies, moved the chicken to Tuesday, and everything else moves along one day.  (And the chicken carcass went into the freezer for stock, and the fat went into the freezer for potstickers or potatoes.)

Right now my problem is potatoes.  The price for them loose is silly high, but in bags I have trouble using them up fast enough.  I think we're halfway through and they're already sprouting.


I shop on Sundays too and need to wash the vegetables and get things organized on this day too.  Otherwise, it just doesn't happen.  So, I am going to try and get into this habit.

I havent read the everlasting meal.  I noted it to look up later. Thank you.

fruitfly

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 90
  • Location: Portland, Oregon
Re: Food Waste Throw Down!
« Reply #77 on: January 13, 2016, 11:40:52 AM »
I'm on on this challenge!

FYI, Mexican pineapple beer is called Tepache. It's really more like kombucha (it isn't very fermented) but it is tasty and easy to make. Here's a simple recipe. I think you could use just rinds if you had a couple of pineapple's worth.

The vinegar citrus cleaner is the greatest. I give it to my 4 year old in a spray bottle because she loves cleaning and she can't really hurt herself with it. Clean away, child labor!

I love the Everlasting Meal! She has a recipe for broccoli stem pesto in there I always mean to try.

unix_kung_fu

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 101
Re: Food Waste Throw Down!
« Reply #78 on: January 15, 2016, 02:55:36 PM »
all veggie scraps like onion peels, carrot tops, etc are saved in the same gallon freezer bags then thrown into a pressure cooker with a couple bay leaves and some unpeeled garlic cloves then ran through a fine sieve. the remaining pulp is composted, and the resulting broth is used as a base for soups, stews, rice, cooking beans (all in the pressure cooker, of course!). It freezes well.

plainjane

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1645
Re: Food Waste Throw Down!
« Reply #79 on: January 15, 2016, 03:20:59 PM »
Right now my problem is potatoes.  The price for them loose is silly high, but in bags I have trouble using them up fast enough.  I think we're halfway through and they're already sprouting.

I was right.  My problem was potatoes.  I went through the bag, and 4 were too far gone.  So they went into the compost.  I also fear for the bean sprouts.  They're on the menu for tomorrow, and next time I need to buy them loose instead of that big bag.  No point in getting a good price if you can't eat it in time.  I haven't thrown away food in months.  It sucks.

littleqt

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 40
  • Location: California Coast
Re: Food Waste Throw Down!
« Reply #80 on: January 19, 2016, 04:21:50 PM »
I'm also trying to eat all the food I buy and finish everything in my fridge before getting more.

One neat hack I'm utilizing is regrowing the stems of produce I purchased and ate already. Currently I have a head of romaine lettuce that is regrowing in a large mason jar, like this: https://www.google.com/search?q=regrow+lettuce&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjrrcHagbfKAhVV9WMKHQmqDTcQ_AUICCgC&biw=1788&bih=798#imgrc=ctx9Hjl9ZGZT2M%3A

I've also regrown celery, bok choy, and green onions.

One food "waste" item I have in my fridge is oyster juice from a jar of raw oysters. That I am not sure what I can do with! Any ideas?

swick

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 2877
Re: Food Waste Throw Down!
« Reply #81 on: January 19, 2016, 05:02:19 PM »
One food "waste" item I have in my fridge is oyster juice from a jar of raw oysters. That I am not sure what I can do with! Any ideas?
About the only thing I can think of is to use it as a base for a seafood style soup or chowder? You could try, if you were brave, make an oyster version of clamato juice and make yourself a Ceasar?

littleqt

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 40
  • Location: California Coast
Re: Food Waste Throw Down!
« Reply #82 on: January 19, 2016, 07:56:31 PM »
One food "waste" item I have in my fridge is oyster juice from a jar of raw oysters. That I am not sure what I can do with! Any ideas?
About the only thing I can think of is to use it as a base for a seafood style soup or chowder? You could try, if you were brave, make an oyster version of clamato juice and make yourself a Ceasar?

Thanks for the ideas! I think the seafood soup sounds good, perhaps an oyster stew. I did not know of clamato juice before!

OmahaSteph

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 670
  • Location: Omaha
    • Journal: The Slow Lane to FIRE
Re: Food Waste Throw Down!
« Reply #83 on: February 05, 2016, 10:34:41 AM »
So, I made this delicious looking chickpea avocado salad (avocados are super cheap right now) from a Forks Over Knives recipe and ... it's interesting. I love all the ingredients, but eating it like a salad is just not going to happen. Rather than throw it out (I'm the only one in my house brave enough to eat it) I'm going to whiz it up in the blender and either eat it with crackers/on toast, or buy some cheap tortilla chips from Aldi and eat it like dip. It'll resemble a chickpea-avocado hummus.

plainjane

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1645
Re: Food Waste Throw Down!
« Reply #84 on: February 05, 2016, 10:47:24 AM »
So, I made this delicious looking chickpea avocado salad (avocados are super cheap right now) from a Forks Over Knives recipe and ... it's interesting. [...] I'm going to whiz it up in the blender and either eat it with crackers/on toast, or buy some cheap tortilla chips from Aldi and eat it like dip. It'll resemble a chickpea-avocado hummus.

Great idea.  Also good as a sandwich spread - you might even encourage the rest of your household to try it if it is a condiment instead of the Thing Being Eaten.

Kaydedid

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 216
Re: Food Waste Throw Down!
« Reply #85 on: February 05, 2016, 11:01:25 AM »
Compost worms FTW, especially if you garden!  Anything not saved for stock goes to them except citrus peels, which are used to make the cleaning vinegar PPs mentioned.  If there's too much at once for the worms to eat, in the freezer it goes, and fed to them at a later date.  The only thing we've had to put on the backyard compost pile was some meat that went off-the worms wouldn't eat it fast enough.

TheBeardedIrishman

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 31
  • Age: 34
  • Location: Iowa
Re: Food Waste Throw Down!
« Reply #86 on: February 05, 2016, 01:10:32 PM »
We  compost as well my wife gets very upset if I throw a used coffee  filter or orange peel in the trash instead of the composition bin she also is against using plastic bags and is know for bringing her own coffee cup into coffee  shops we are very economic friendly
Compost worms FTW, especially if you garden!  Anything not saved for stock goes to them except citrus peels, which are used to make the cleaning vinegar PPs mentioned.  If there's too much at once for the worms to eat, in the freezer it goes, and fed to them at a later date.  The only thing we've had to put on the backyard compost pile was some meat that went off-the worms wouldn't eat it fast enough.

BudgetSlasher

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1212
Re: Food Waste Throw Down!
« Reply #87 on: February 07, 2016, 08:16:24 PM »
We freeze any prepared food before it goes bad and we attempt to make keep ahead of produce going bad.

All non-meat scraps are composted; we don't compost meat due in part to the smell, but mostly to what it attracts (foxes, raccoons, and other critters that can get destructive.

It amazes me when we go to other peoples houses how much trash they make. Between compost and recycling our landfill waste is less than half a white kitchen trash bag a week. In the past when trash service was not a thing for us we often had to take the trash out due to smell rather than a full bag.

horsepoor

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3497
  • Location: At the Barn
  • That old chestnut.
Re: Food Waste Throw Down!
« Reply #88 on: February 07, 2016, 09:22:58 PM »
Following! 

I know I've posted it in other threads, but I like making green soup with random veggies.  They can be collected in the freezer until you have enough.  The scraps can be rounded out into a pot of soup with a bag of frozen spinach or broccoli if your scrap collection is too random.  Not limited to greens either.  You can use cauliflower,  zucchini, etc.  Plus if you need to use onions, caramelize them and freeze portions until you're ready to make the soup.
http://www.splendidtable.org/recipes/basic-green-soup

meghan88

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 834
  • Location: Montreal
Re: Food Waste Throw Down!
« Reply #89 on: February 08, 2016, 11:34:41 AM »
I've stopped peeling carrots.  We buy organic anyway, so I just give them a good scrub and cut off the ends and bad bits if any.  Same thing for potatoes.  I try to trim things as little as possible.

We save any paper bags we get (e.g., from the bakery).  I put one in the freezer and use it to collect our minimal food trimmings and tea bags etc. because we live in a condo and there's no composting.  However there is green waste collection at work, so every week or two I bring the bag to work with me and dump it.  As a result, our garbage for two people is down to one small plastic grocery-sized bag every month (or less).  I'm planning on doing some small-scale balcony composting for coffee grounds, which I heard are very good soil additives.  We're north-facing so can only grow some shade-tolerating herbs with limited success, but we'll use what we can.

Our region over-purchased green waste disposal capacity from a neighbouring municipality so we are paying way too much for it.  Most households that have green waste pickup don't bother with it at all.  Very sad.  We also have one of the country's lowest per-capita percentage of bike commuters here, so I'm not surprised.  Clown car driving reigns supreme.  But I digress ...