Most food that gets thrown away at home wasn’t bad food. It was forgotten: the yogurt pushed behind the milk, the half bag of spinach at the bottom of the drawer, the jar of pasta sauce bought twice.
The numbers add up. The UN Environment Programme’s Food Waste Index Report 2024 estimates that households threw away 631 million tonnes of food in 2022, about 60% of all food wasted at the retail, food service and household level. In the US, the FDA estimates that 30–40% of the food supply goes uneaten. In the UK, WRAP puts the value of edible food a four-person household throws away at about £1,000 a year. By weight, 39% of it was binned because it wasn’t used in time: it smelled or looked off (22%), or it was past the date on the label (17%).
The fix is less about willpower and more about a kitchen where you can see what needs eating.
The short version
- First in, first out: new food goes to the back, older food to the front.
- Label everything that doesn’t come with a date: leftovers, frozen food, decanted dry goods.
- Give each fridge zone a job, and keep raw meat on the bottom shelf.
- Set up an “eat first” shelf for anything close to its date.
- Plan a few meals and shop with a list, after checking what you already have.
- Check the fridge temperature: 40°F (4°C) or below in the US, 0–5°C in the UK.
Shops rotate stock so older products sell first. Do the same at home. When you unpack the shopping, move what’s already there to the front and put the new items behind it. The USDA recommends this approach because food is less likely to spoil when older items get used first.
FIFO works best when you can actually see things:
Temperatures vary inside a fridge, and a layout you stick to makes it easier to notice what’s there.
Check the temperature with an inexpensive fridge thermometer. The FDA recommends 40°F (4°C) or below for the fridge and 0°F (-18°C) for the freezer. The FSA says 0–5°C. WRAP’s research suggests the average UK fridge runs at around 7°C, which is too warm, and turning it down helps food last longer.
Leftovers, portions you freeze yourself and food decanted into jars lose their dates the moment they leave the pack. Keep a roll of masking tape and a marker in the kitchen and write two things: what it is and the date. The FSA suggests labeling frozen food so you don’t end up with “unidentified frozen objects”.
How long leftovers keep depends on whose advice you follow:
If you’re not sure which rule applies, follow the shorter one.
Pick one spot, such as a shelf at eye level or a small box, for food that needs using within the next few days. Opened packs, the last two eggs and vegetables that are starting to soften all go there. When anyone opens the fridge looking for a snack or planning dinner, that’s where they look first.
The freezer is the easiest way to buy time. According to the FDA, food kept at 0°F (-18°C) stays safe indefinitely, although its quality slowly drops. In the UK, the FSA says you can freeze food right up to its use-by date. Once food is defrosted, use it within 24 hours.
Freeze bread in slices, meat in meal-sized portions and leftovers in flat bags, so they thaw quickly and you only take out what you need.
The FDA’s advice for cutting food waste starts before you reach the shop:
You don’t need a full weekly menu. Planning three or four dinners around what’s already in the fridge, and leaving a night for leftovers, covers most of it.
Dry goods last a long time, which is exactly why they get forgotten. Group similar items together, keep older packs in front and move opened flour, rice and cereal into sealed containers. The USDA recommends a cool, dry place for shelf-stable food, ideally below 85°F (29°C), and away from the stove and oven.
The hardest food to keep track of is the food you can’t see: meat at the bottom of the freezer, a spare jar at the back of the cupboard. Use-By: Expiry Tracker is a free iPhone app where you add an item in one line, such as Chicken thighs 2 packs 11/20/2026. It reminds you before the date and sends a weekly digest, which is handy to read before you shop. The household can share one list through iCloud, with no account and no ads.
More articles: Food storage and expiry guides.
General food safety information, not medical advice.
Updated: September 29, 2026