Some ideas below. To avoid buying more food than you need, make frequent trips to the supermarket store every few days rather than doing a bulk shopping trip once a week and make a point to finish all the food before another trip to the supermarket. Store food correctly. According to the Natural Resource Defense Council, about two-thirds of household waste in the United Kingdom is due to food spoilage (4). Separating foods that produce more ethylene gas from those that don’t is another great way to reduce food spoilage. Ethylene promotes ripening in foods and could lead to spoilage. Foods that produce ethylene gas while ripening include: bananas, avocados, tomatoes, peaches, pears, green onions. Keep these foods away from ethylene-sensitive produce like potatoes, apples, leafy greens, berries and peppers to avoid premature spoilage. Use a food bank for any waste food Prepare leftover meals. Which also saves time and money!