Pantry Nightmare

Pantry Nightmare

Surprise, surprise, you may have expired foods sitting in your pantry. If you stock up on dry goods like breadcrumbs, cake mixes, noodles, and canned goods, it is possible that many will expire within one to three years (if not already).  If your pantry is overflowing and disorganized (like mine), it is easy to overlook products that have been sitting on your shelves long past their prime.

With Spring-cleaning looming, it may be time to tackle your pantry.  Yes, some guilt about getting rid of unused expired products may be lurking around, but expired food can cause health problems such as gastric distress, gas, bloating, or diarrhea.

Many materials found in dry food packaging are perfect for recycling.  Make a green choice by recycling expired foods packaging materials.  Keep in mind that some packaging materials may look like foil or another material but is plastic. Try these tips for responsible recycling as you clean out the pantry:

1.       Remove plastic packages such as cake mixes and noodles from the cardboard packaging. This is easy to throw away in the green recycle bin.

2.       Remove dry foods from their plastic wrappers. You can make plastic wraps more suited for the recycling bin by rinsing them off quickly under the tap.

3.      Dump out the contents of expired canned goods, rinse them out, and throw them in the recycling bin.

After following these steps, you will reach the best part, a pantry with room to clean, reorganize, spray for bugs (if needed), and stock up on healthy foods for this summer! 

Save money and choose green alternatives...

Are you one of those people who just cannot keep track of their spending, and find themselves wondering when and where they spent their money? Does it frustrate you that your hectic daily schedule and a busy lifestyle leave you with very less time for taking up environmental causes? Helping the cause of preservation of environment can start with small steps – tiny alteration of your buying decisions, choices, and habits can bring in a significant difference and save the earth as well as your pocket. Implementing the following tips would enable you to do their bit for Mother Earth, while allowing you to keep a steady tab on your spending habits as well. 

Reuse, up-cycle, resell – Putting a check on dumping activities can prevent landfills and infiltration of toxic chemicals into resources like soil and ground water. Do not throwaway plastic mats, electronic items, which do not work anymore, cell phones and items containing chemicals and metals. Reselling your older computer monitor or washing machine is always a better alternative than to simply throw it away – it would bring you some financial return and you would also be preventing harmful chemicals and metals like lead and nickel from leaching into ground water table. 

Think of recycling or simply up-cycling a product. Old doors and furniture can be transformed into storage provisions like bins and shelves. Copper wires inside ducts and computer hard disks can be re-used in jewelry making and other creative pursuits. 

Buy organic and locally grown products – Make more eco-friendly choices and support farmers’ communities. Buying organic vegetables and coffee beans by Fair Trade Association ensures that lesser pesticides and fertilizers find their way into the soil and water resources, thus leading to lesser pollution and protection of natural habitats. While you might not give a second thought to purchase of a fabric made of organic cotton, or roasting your own coffee, its ramifications might be hugely beneficial for the preservation of Earth. What is more, you would be making significant savings in the process, too.