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Sustainable Eating: Reducing Food Waste in the New Year

January is the season of fresh starts and new habits. Maybe your fridge is full of mystery leftovers from the holiday season - or perhaps you're making a pact to stop chucking out half-used veg and forgotten yoghurt - but now is the perfect time to think about how to reduce food waste.

The good news? Sustainable food habits might be easier than you think. It’s about small, realistic changes that make everyday life a little greener (and often a little cheaper too).

Let’s break it down!

Milk & More

Posted 13-01-26

Why Reducing Food Waste Matters

Every year, we waste an enormous amount of food. To put it into numbers, in the EU in 2023, around 58 million tonnes in total (or 130kg per person) were wasted. Yet more than 42 million people across Europe still can’t afford a decent meal every other day. When it comes to food waste, every household counts.

The environmental impact of food waste

When food is wasted, so is everything that went into producing it, too: water, energy, packaging and transport. In fact, food waste is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions when it ends up in landfill.

By choosing to reduce food waste, you’re helping protect natural resources and supporting better food sustainability, all without changing what you eat.

How reducing waste supports sustainable living

Cutting down on food waste is one of those rare wins that’s good for the planet and your bank balance. Fewer last-minute food shops, less throwing things away, and more meals made from what you already have.
Sustainable food habits don’t have to be big or time-consuming. They just need to work for real life.

Simple Ways to Reduce Food Waste at Home

If you’re thinking about setting intentions this year, these are some habits you can actually stick to.

Planning meals and shopping more mindfully

You don’t need a colour-coded spreadsheet (unless that’s your thing), just a loose plan. Knowing roughly what you’ll eat for the week helps you buy what you’ll actually use.

A few easy wins:

Check the fridge before shopping
Plan meals that share ingredients
Be realistic about how many meals you’ll cook

Mindful shopping is one of the simplest ways to support sustainable food choices without overthinking it.

Storing food correctly to make it last longer

A few small tweaks can make a big difference:

Keep herbs in a glass of water or wrapped in a damp kitchen roll
Add kitchen roll in packs of berry fruits or bags of leafy greens to keep them fresher for longer
Freeze bread, milk or leftovers if you won’t use them in time, and always store leftovers in an airtight container!

Good storage = fresher food for longer = less waste.

Understanding use-by and best-before dates

This one’s a game-changer.

Use-by dates are about safety - always stick to them
Best-before dates are about quality - many foods are still perfectly fine after

From the egg in water to the old-fashioned sniff test - examine before you check. Trust your senses: if it smells good, looks good and tastes good, it usually is.

Recipes That Help Use Up Leftovers

Leftovers aren’t boring; with a little creativity, they’re new meals waiting to happen.

Vegetable soups and stews

Soft carrots, bendy celery, leftover greens? Throw them into a pot with stock, herbs and seasoning. Soup is endlessly flexible and brilliant for using up odds and ends.

Bonus: it freezes beautifully.

Frittatas and tray bakes

Eggs are your best friend when it comes to reducing food waste. Add leftover veg, cheese or cooked potatoes and bake them all together for an easy lunch or dinner. Inspired? Here's a recipe to try.

One dish. Minimal effort. Maximum satisfaction.

Smoothies and fruit-based desserts

Overripe bananas, berries past their best or apples with a few bruises are perfect for smoothies, crumbles or stewed fruit.

The perfect excuse for something sweet.

Making Sustainable Eating Part of Everyday Life

A lot of people think that meal prepping means eating the same meal every day. But that doesn’t need to be the case. All you need is a plan and a freezer, and you can keep your food (and ideas) fresh. Try dedicating one day to cooking a few meals, freezing them right away, then defrosting the morning you want to eat the meal.

Small habit changes that add up

Cook one ‘use-it-up’ meal a week
Freeze your leftovers straight away
Keep a visible shelf in the fridge for food that needs to be used

These little shifts should make food sustainability feel like just a normal part of life.

Choosing seasonal and local produce

Seasonal food often lasts longer, tastes better and has a lower environmental footprint. Choosing local and seasonal options supports sustainable food systems, and usually means fewer air miles too.

How Milk & More supports lower-waste shopping

With flexible delivery and a wide range of products, Milk & More makes it easier to get exactly what you need, but only when you need it. From fresh produce and dairy to plant-based alternatives, it’s a simple way to support good habits.

Reducing food waste is just about being a bit more thoughtful, one meal at a time. This January, small changes can lead to less waste and new recipes. That’s a resolution worth keeping.

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Sustainable Eating: Reducing Food Waste in the New Year