Give your food scraps a second life.
If you catch yourself wondering what to do with all your food scraps, here’s some inspo for ideas beyond just the compost bin.
Kitchen gems for garden growth.
Sustainable urban ag is all about maximizing resources. Instead of throwing your scraps away, check out how they can feed your plants.
- Banana peel: Toss your potassium-filled peels in your plant’s soil instead of the bin to introduce more nutrients. For best results, dehydrate in your oven and crush them into a powder before adding to the soil.
- Coffee grounds and eggshells: Simply sprinkle your rinsed and crushed eggshells and coffee grounds around your soil for a nutrient-rich fix for your plants.
- Potato peel compost: These peels are fully loaded with nutrients (we’re talking potassium, magnesium, and more), so soak them in water for a few days, strain, and feed it to your plants.
For a clean, green home.
With a little scrappy creativity, you can make your house shine and reduce waste.
- All-purpose citrus peel cleaner: Store your peels in an airtight jar and cover with white vinegar. After sitting for a couple of weeks, strain, dilute with a little water, and get spraying your eco-friendly, citrus-scented cleaner!
- Tea bag window cleaner: After making yourself a cup of tea, gently dab your cool tea bag onto your dirty windows (the tannic acid removes greasy stains), wipe, and let your windows sparkle.
- DIY potpourri: Dry your citrus peels and mix in spices of your choice (we’re looking at you cinnamon). For a herby scent, add dried lavender, rosemary, or eucalyptus.
Kitchen scrap recipes.
The ultimate way to avoid creating food waste is to find creative ways to eat it all up! Whether it’s the tops of fruits and veg that we cut off or overripe products, here are some recipes to put more food on your plate and less in the trash.
Snackables:
- Watermelon rind smoothie: In a blender, combine ice, lemon juice, and a watermelon rind for a zero-waste drink.
- Banana peel bacon: Yep, that’s right! This vegan snack starts with a ripe banana peel that’s been marinated in a soy sauce, maple syrup, smoked paprika, and garlic powder mix - pan-fry it until golden brown and crispy.
- Broccoli stalk tempura: Dipped into a sauce of your choice, this is a great way to put this often-wasted part to good use. In a mixture of flour, cornstarch, and sparkling water, dip your stalks (cut into long strips) and fry.
Sauces and soups:
- Veggie greens pesto: Transform your chopped beet, carrot, and celery leaves into a flavourful, no-waste pesto by adding some walnuts, garlic, Parmesan, olive oil, and salt.
- Stale bread aioli: There’s no need to throw away your hardened bread - remove the crust and soften it in milk. Then blend along with roasted garlic, eggs, lemon juice, and olive oil for a creamy dip for your veggies.
- Broths: Freeze your vegetable scraps and the bones of your meat, and once you’ve collected enough, simmer them in water with spices and herbs of your choice for a rich broth.
Low-waste desserts:
- SuaFa'i (Samoan banana soup): Boil your overripe banana with a spoonful of sago (a type of starch), and add coconut milk to make a dessert soup that’s enjoyed hot or cold.
- Pouding chômeur: A classic Quebec dessert with a long history, you can make this dessert the original way by using stale bread soaked in maple syrup!
- Preserves: Check out our preserves guide for tons of ways to extend the fruit season with various preservation techniques. A fave of ours is candying citrus peels to add a flavourful, zero-waste topping to cakes and drinks.
Happy repurposing!