Thanksgiving leftovers, a terrible thing to waste

For a lot of families, one of the best things about Thanksgiving is all those leftovers – the gravy-covered turkey sandwiches, mashed potatoes and pie for days.

But too much of anything can be a bad thing, even Thanksgiving leftovers. Every year, 40% of all food in the U.S. is wasted, often by being tossed out as trash into landfills, even as many Americans don't have enough to eat, according to the National Resources Defense Council. In addition, the average four-person household spends $1,500 a year on food they end up throwing out.

So this Thanksgiving, San Diego County wants to offer residents some free tips on how to cut down on food waste and too many leftovers, maybe save them some money and for good measure, even offer some recycling tips to help protect their homes, or at least, their pipes.

Reduce food waste – shop and plan wisely.

The easiest way to reduce food waste, during the holidays or just day to day, is to not cook too much, right? Plan ahead, shop smart and serve just enough food to make everyone happy. Of course that sounds easy, but can be hard to do. How do families know how much food is enough? SaveTheFood.com has a "Guest-imator" that can help families calculate how much food they need to prepare, based on how many people they're serving and how much they typically eat – even for Thanksgiving. And yes, it can even calculate having leftovers if they are wanted.

Freeze or find ways to reuse leftovers.

Of course, even the best planners can end up with leftovers sometimes, especially at a big event like Thanksgiving. But they don't have to let them go to waste. If the family is hosting guests, provide to-go containers so they can take them with them. Rethink leftovers and use them as ingredients for new meals. For example, leftover meat and vegetables can make a great soup or casserole. Or turn mashed potatoes into potato pancakes. And of course, freeze leftovers to use in future meals.

Cutting food waste and recycling can keep a home's pipes clean.

Believe it or not, cutting food waste and recycling can even protect the house. That's because cooking oils and grease can gunk up the plumbing and cause sewage overflows if they are discarded down the sink's drain. Making sure to not overprepare food and cut down on the amount of cooking oil being used. And keep used oils out of the plumbing by collecting them and recycling them. Contrary to popular belief, mixing used oil with soap or pouring hot water down the drain after discarding oils in the sink doesn't prevent fat clogs that can back up pipes.

There are free drop-off locations for used cooking oils all around the county. Just collect cooked cooking oils in a secure container with a lid and label it "used cooking oil." Don't mix chemicals or other liquids in with them. To find the nearest drop-off location, visit the county's Recycling and Household Hazardous Waste database, http://www.WasteFreeSD.org or call (877) 713-2784.

To learn more about reducing food waste, visit the county's Solid Waste Planning and Recycling website, http://www.sandiegocounty.gov/content/sdc/dpw/recycling.html.

Submitted by San Diego County.