Millions of tons of food are being tossed in the garbage every year in the U.S. And with millions of households across the country struggling to have enough to eat, food waste is increasingly becoming a serious environmental and economic issue.

According to a newly released report, “about 60 million metric tons of food is wasted a year in the United States, with an estimated value of $162 billion. About 32 million metric tons of it end up in municipal landfills.”

And the problem is expected to grow worse, unless actions are taken to reduce the waste, according to the report.

Most households are always trying to come up with ways to waste less food, spend less money on groceries and eat better meals. Well, here’s a simple trick that can help you keep your food fresher and save you money: the FIFO method.

FIFO (first in, first out), is a simple but effective method used by grocery stores nationwide. When the supermarket gets fresh produce in stock, for example, they place the older stuff in front and the newer stuff behind it. This ensures that the consumer will purchase the older product first, before it spoils and they have to throw it out.

When we buy groceries, most of the time we just shove the groceries into the fridge without a second thought –– understandably. So, try using the FIFO method instead and you’ll see the difference.

H/T: Huffington Post, The New York Times

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