Each year Americans throw away 161 billion dollars worth of food. That food wastes energy and resources, ends up in landfills and generates methane gas, making it the third largest source of methane in the country. The next time you head to the grocery store or the farmers market make sure your food won’t go to waste with these four apps.
Related: 7 Ways to Reduce Food Waste
Helping to reduce food waste from restaurants and food retailers and save consumers money is PareUp. Restaurants and stores list unexpired foods about to become tomorrow’s trash, such as wrapped sandwiches and baked goods that cannot be donated due to safety regulations. Consumers can then shop those items at deeply discounted prices. Get it.
Green Egg Shopper
This app tells you the true expiration dates of food while you’re shopping and will provide you with alerts when said item is nearing its expiration time. There’s even a Use Me Now list that can help with planning meals. Get it.
Fridge Pal
Make shopping lists, track expiration dates and find recipes with Fridge Pal. It’s not the most polished of apps but it is one of the most versatile meal planning tools out there. Use it while shopping to scan barcodes and even get notifications of what staples need refilling. Say goodbye to having too many tomatoes. Get it.
Home Composting
Intimated by composting? There’s an app for that. Several, actually, but Home Composting for Organic Gardeners is one of the best for composting newbies. It tells you not only which food you can compost but which food scraps are best to use for what you’re trying to grow in your garden. Get it.