To address the issue of having an excessive amount of food in the refrigerator that is not used by the best before date, I would put together a PDCA cycle to best address the problem by understanding the factors that are contributing to the problem, define potential solutions, and check the results as solutions are put into effect (Spath & Kelly, 2017). By analyzing the issue and establishing a measurement for the result, solutions can be tested and determined to be successful or unsuccessful based on whether or not they meet the goal. If the initial solution is not effective based on the goal criteria, another solution can be implemented and tested, which would repeat the process until a successful solution is found.

Planning all meals for the week and creating a grocery list to only purchase the type and amount of ingredients needed for those meals/recipes with the exception of common pantry items. To make sure this change is effective and produces the desired result, I will use a PDCA cycle that can be modified to explore other solutions if needed.

Plan: Need to eliminate waste by using most of the food in the refrigerator by the best before date.

Do: Plan meals for the entire week and only purchase meat, dairy products, and produce needed for those meals in the closest quantities possible for the recipes.

Check/Study: At the end of the first week, take note of how much food needs thrown away, or that was thrown away during the course of the week.

Act: If the change in food waste was significant (reduced by at least 25%), continue the weekly meal planning. If the change in food waste was less than 25% or added more waste, further analyze the cause.

Additional options if the initial change was unsuccessful include finding recipes for meals that use some of the same ingredients, purchasing ingredients from stores that allow exact amounts to be bought rather than having to buy a large amount that isn't needed (ex. single oranges rather than a bag of oranges), or meal prepping to prepare several meals ahead of time and either refrigerate or freeze the meals.

(READ THE ABOVE and ANSWER THE QUESTIONS BELOW)

Which ideas or thoughts did you read that you found interesting or insightful? How did these ideas or thoughts inform your own thinking?

Are there any sections that you think you read that could expound upon? (e.g. "I'd really like to hear more about how you think political corruption is a primary factor in this case.")

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