Every year, Americans toss over 100 pounds of spoiled food in the trash, according to a Bosch study.
Think about that. There are around 130 million households in America, each contributing to the average. Most of it ends up in landfills, rotting under dense flocks of vultures, crows, or seagulls.
That's a lot of wasted money too. Fortunately, Instagrammer Lindsey Fisher (@lindseyfishernc) shared a hack that will help consumers keep their food fresh longer, save money, and reduce waste.
The scoop
Consider it in simple terms: Moisture is the enemy of longevity. The key is to remove the moisture, which means unpackaging the spinach.
Lindsey opens the package to allow the moisture to escape, adds a sheet of paper towel to capture additional moisture, and then flips the package upside down to be kept in the fridge.
This may seem counterintuitive since most of us are conditioned to think that removing food from its packaging exposes it to rapid decomposition. In this instance, it's the right thing to do if you want your spinach to last longer.
Moisture, trapped within the packaging, facilitates bacterial growth (harmful microorganisms love moisture) and breaks down the spinach leaves, accelerating decomposition and creating a slimy, spoiled texture on the surface of the leaves.
It's not exactly an appetizing effect, often resulting in the spinach feeding the birds in a landfill. If you end up consuming it, well, that's its own sort of "very bad day."
How it's helping
As Lindsey explains in her Instagram post, it's easy to recognize the presence of moisture and take steps to address the problem.
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Definitely 😠What's not in the clip is the fact that this hack works for other packaged produce. Lettuce, berries, herbs, root vegetables, and tomatoes are just a few examples of things consumers can purchase in plastic packaging.
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The trapped moisture will negatively impact them too. Knowing this and how to solve it helps reduce waste, decrease the amount of food dumped in landfills (along with the cheap plastic food containers), maximize leftovers, and save some money.
It also reduces the production of methane in landfills. This gas is far more potent in planet-warming potential than carbon dioxide.
What people are saying
Lindsey wasn't satisfied with just one hack, however, and promised, "More to come!"
"Love it!" one comment read. "Thank you…I'm here for the hacks."
Another user added, "So cool."
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