Reducing food waste is one of the most impactful things you can do at home for the environment — and it saves money. According to the Voedingscentrum, every Dutch person throws away about 33 to 34 kilos of good food annually, amounting to hundreds of euros per household. A zero-waste kitchen doesn’t have to be a major overhaul: with a few practical adjustments in how you shop, cook, and store food, you can make significant progress.
Start with shopping
A zero-waste kitchen begins long before you start cooking: with your groceries.
1. Take stock and plan your meals
First, see what you already have at home. Check your fridge, freezer, and pantry. This way, you avoid duplicate purchases and use products that are almost expired. Then, make a meal plan for the week — 3 to 4 meals is enough. Plan dishes that use overlapping ingredients, so you use everything up.
2. Make a shopping list and stick to it
Based on your meal plan, create a list and only buy what’s on it. Impulse buys are the biggest culprit. Bring your own bags and, if possible, go to the market for fresh, seasonal products — there you can often buy exactly the amount you need, without unnecessary packaging.
3. Know the difference between Best Before and Use By dates
In the Netherlands, you’ll see two types of shelf-life dates: ‘best before’ (THT) and ‘use by’ (TGT). Products with a best-before date (THT) (e.g., pasta, rice, canned goods) are often still fine after the date, as long as they look and smell good. Products with a use-by date (TGT) (e.g., meat, fish, fresh meals) are more critical and should really be consumed or frozen before that date.
4. Consider bulk and local options
Dry products such as grains, legumes, and nuts can be bought in bulk at unpackaged stores or online, for example, from Pieter Pot. You fill your own containers and buy just enough. The local farmer or specialty shop also often offers products without unnecessary packaging.
Cooking without waste: Creativity in the kitchen
1. Portion control and leftover day
Don’t cook too much; estimate portions based on who’s eating. If you do have leftovers, that makes for a great leftover day. Many dishes even taste better the next day — think of soups, stews, curries, or a frittata made from leftover vegetables and potatoes.
2. Use everything, from root to leaf
Many vegetables have edible parts that you normally throw away. Broccoli stems can be peeled and cooked, the greens from carrots and radishes can be made into pesto, and potato or carrot peelings can become crispy oven chips. Cauliflower or kale leaves are great for stir-fries.
3. Freeze smartly and make broth
The freezer is your best helper. Freeze leftovers in portions, so you always have a quick meal. Collect vegetable scraps (onion, carrot, and leek peels, herb stems) in a bag in the freezer; once it’s full, make a nutritious vegetable broth from them. This way, you create value from what would otherwise be waste.
4. Apps and initiatives in the Netherlands
Make use of the many Dutch initiatives. With Too Good To Go, you can pick up a ‘Magic Box’ with leftover food from shops and restaurants at the end of the day for a small price. Apps like NoFoodWasted show offers for products that are nearing their best-before date (THT).
Smart storage: Extend the shelf life of your food
Much food is wasted because it’s stored incorrectly and spoils faster as a result.
1. Optimal storage per product
Not everything belongs in the fridge: tomatoes, avocados, bananas, and bread are better stored at room temperature. Apples and pears emit gases that cause other fruit to ripen faster, so store them separately. Carrots and lettuce stay fresh longer in a sealed container with a damp cloth. Fresh herbs last longer in a glass of water.
2. Sustainable storage solutions
Replace plastic film and bags with glass containers with good lids, beeswax wraps (ideal for cheese, bread, and avocado), and reusable silicone bags. Better for the environment, and your food stays fresh longer.
3. Fermenting and preserving
Old preservation techniques such as fermenting and preserving are making a comeback. Ferment vegetables (sauerkraut, kimchi) or preserve fruit: you significantly extend shelf life and add new flavours. Ideal for utilising seasonal surpluses.
4. Labelling and ‘first in, first out’
Organise your fridge and pantry. Date what you freeze or open, and apply the FIFO principle: what went in first, you use first. This way, nothing spoils unnoticed at the back of the cupboard.
The final step: Composting
There will always be some organic waste left over. There’s a sustainable solution for that too.
1. Use the organic waste collection
In many municipalities, you can separately dispose of garden, fruit, and vegetable waste (GFT). This is composted and processed into new raw materials — the simplest way to give your organic scraps a useful purpose.
2. Home composting
If you have a garden, consider a compost heap or a worm bin. A worm bin even fits on a balcony and converts your food scraps into valuable compost for your plants.
3. Creative with stale bread
Stale bread isn’t waste: turn it into breadcrumbs, croutons, or French toast. There are countless recipes to give it a second life.
A sustainable kitchen is closer than you think
Reducing food waste is done step by step. Every adjustment counts — from conscious shopping and clever cooking to proper storage and composting. You not only reduce your environmental impact but also often become more creative in the kitchen and save money.
Choose one tip from this article to start with this week. That’s enough for a good beginning.