Food waste impacts people, the environment and our wallets. In fact, the average American family of four loses $1,500 to uneaten food.

“Here in this country, 40% of the food we make goes in the trash,” said Joel Gamoran, chef and entrepreneur. “That’s like going to the grocery store with two bags and just tossing one.”

Washington has an ambitious goal to reduce food waste by 50% by 2030. The Department of Ecology is launching the Use Food Well campaign to help every person in Washington be part of the solution. Safeway Albertsons is promoting this campaign in stores statewide.

“How rad is it that we’re from a place like Washington State and the Department of Ecology is behind this,” Gamoran said.

Gamoran uses his expertise as a chef to provide ideas for what to do with common leftover foods. This includes blending asparagus bottoms with mint, walnuts, garlic, a bit of lemon and parmesan cheese to make a pesto. You can also grate stale bread like cheese and toast it to create breadcrumbs.

“When you talk about Use Food Well, when you talk about the environmental impact, everyone’s like yes, you can save a lot of money,” Gamoran said.

Instead of composting fruit scraps or overripe fruit, you can make a simple syrup for a cocktail or mocktail. Boil berries or tops of strawberries with equal parts sugar and water, add juice from a citrus fruit and fizzy water, and you’ll have a delightful drink! You can also use an overripe avocado like butter in baked goods.

Gamoran encourages Washingtonians to shop smart, meal plan and store food properly. You can find more tips to reduce food waste at usefoodwell.org, and when you’re shopping in Safeway and Albertson stores statewide, scan the QR code on signage at the store for resources.

Sponsored by Safeway Albertsons

Segment Producer Suzie Wiley. Watch New Day Northwest at 11 a.m. weekdays on KING 5 and streaming live on KING5.com. Contact New Day.