Use Food Well campaign looks to decrease food waste during the holidays

OLYMPIA, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – A new campaign is looking to help Washingtonians reduce food waste during the holiday season.

The Washington State Department of Ecology has launched the Use Food Well campaign, encouraging people to prevent food waste.

Nonprofit ReFED has released data recently that says U.S. families waste an average of $3,000 worth of food a year.

They say that preventing food waste can be achieved through simple steps including smart shopping, meal planning and proper food storage. Proper food storage can mean separating raw food from cooked food and fruits and vegetables.

Flour, sugar and other dry goods should also be stored in cool, dry places and sealed to maintain freshness.

For ideas and recipes for saving food, Ecology has set up a website called usefoodwell.org.