Give Thanks and Save the Food!

The team at Denver Recycles is very thankful to have such an amazing community of recyclers and composters in Denver. Did you know that nearly 15% of Denver households are voluntarily opting to participate in the Denver Composts program and helping to keep food scraps and yard debris out of the landfill? Denver Recycles is thrilled with the growth that they’ve seen in this program and want to acknowledge that they can’t do what they do without all of you. This Thanksgiving, they're thankful for you!As a small token of our thanks and gratitude, they’ve put together a list of tips and resources that will help your home save money and get the most out of Thanksgiving (and your leftovers). After all, the flip side of not being able to gather with large groups of friends and family means that there’s potential for even more leftovers! Here are some tips for not letting leftovers go to waste:

• Be realistic. Use the Guest-imator tool to plan for your small group size this year (don’t worry – the tool lets you account for the desired ratio of food to leftovers).
• Clean and organize your fridge now. Your future self will thank you.
• Stock up on clear storage containers (these can be new or repurposed jars, tubs, etc.). If you can see your leftovers, you’ll be less likely to forget about them.
• Label containers. The more organized, the better.
• Go easy on the post-Thanksgiving grocery shopping and plan to eat leftovers. As needed, stock up on ingredients that will pair nicely with your leftovers.
• Make turkey stock and then compost your turkey carcass.
• Visit SavetheFood.com for more ideas and inspiration for reducing food waste!

When you no longer trust your leftovers to be safe and delicious to consume, trust your senses to make the call. Your sense of smell and taste are some of the best tools for determining whether food is still edible. If no longer edible, be sure to compost spoiled discards. After all, every onion peel and celery top counts, so don’t let your spoiled leftovers, turkey bones, or veggie trimmings waste away in the landfill. Compost them instead! The Denver Compostsprogram accepts all types of food scraps (including prepared foods, meat, bones, and dairy products). And, the kitchen compost pail delivered with each new Denver Composts cart is perfectly sized for being a countertop companion during meal prep and for scraping plates after your meal.Not a Denver Composts customer? Learn how to become one at Denvergov.org/Compost.For more information about all programs and services offered by Denver Recycles, please visit us at DenverGov.org/DenverRecycles or call 311 (720-913-1311).