And for those who cannot support monetarily, remember that over 66 billion pounds of food go to waste each year, creating a huge opportunity for us all to cultivate a deeper relationship with what we consume and help lighten the load on the supply chain just by wasting less. 

Thank you all for your continued support!

Delaware Interfaith Power & Light

Founded in 2011, our friends at DeIPL are the local chapter of Interfaith Power and Light, a national non-profit whose mission is to inspire and mobilize people of faith and conscience to take bold and just action on climate change.

DeIPL believes we have a moral responsibility to scientifically inform and spiritually deepen our understanding of our relationship with the natural world – and with each other – and to act on those understandings. They invite each in their own way, inspired by their own faith to share and embrace this moral imperative.

Their programs include Windows of Hope, where energy-saving window inserts are made by community members for community members, and The Green Empowerment program which facilitates community solar programs and prepares community members for green job opportunities. 

Every faith tradition believes 
that human beings have a special responsibility 
to care for creation. Wherever your faith resides, join the Climate Conversation with DeIPL.

Feed Your Friends, Feed Your Family, Feed Yourself

More than just soup, The Soup Club began when four friends (who, between them, have four husbands, ten hungry kids and several jobs) realized that they didn’t actually have to cook at home every night to take pleasure in a home-cooked meal. They simply had to join forces and share meals, even if they weren’t actually eating them together. They found that this helped them all save money on gas and groceries as well as forge close community bonds. The Soup Club Cookbook gives us all a look into how we can create our own “food sharing” club with friends, neighbors, coworkers, anyone!
We are all stronger together.

The UK has recently changed their stance on the usefulness of “Best By” dates and the US is poised to soon follow. The European Commission estimates that as much as 10% of food waste is caused by confusion around the way products are date marked. How is one little number causing so much damage?

It may be surprising to learn that, while manufacturers are prohibited from placing false or misleading information on a label, they are not required to obtain approval of the labels they use, according to the FDA. They also aren’t required to tell officials how they arrived at the date they’ve applied. This only adds to the confusion over food “best by” labels. One survey found that 91% of consumers throw away their food too early because they don’t understand the labeling on the food they’re tossing and American food waste totals over an astounding $161 billion per year.

“A product can be beyond the ‘best if used by’ date and still be safe and of appropriate quality for consumers to use,” said Susan Mayne, Director, FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. Mayne also said that most labels only indicate peak freshness and not safety. “And knowing when a product is at its best quality, is not really an exact science.”

For your clarity, the FDA is now recommending that manufacturers use the “best if used by” label for freshness, and “use by” for perishables like milk, hoping that this will curb the amount of food waste headed to landfills. And what’s the best way to be sure your products are still safe to consume? The FDA suggests you follow your nose, scent and consistency are the biggest indicators that your food has passed its prime and should be headed to the compost pile. 

So don’t let those little printed numbers get to you. That can of Spaghetti-os in the pantry that expired last week is still perfectly fine to eat.