How to do it:

Start by pulling everything out one shelf at a time. For dry goods, get several shallow boxes and sort as you go. For freezers see if you can borrow a few coolers from friends — might as well defrost while it’s empty!

Remove everything, wipe down the shelf, and then sort into categories. Now sort by expiration date. Most shelf-stable foods are good for years past the listed date, but if any cans are bulging or seeping, discard those! Don’t donate expired food to food banks, either. They can’t legally use it. If you’re uncomfortable with expired cans, consider offering them up on a Buy Nothing group with a disclaimer that they’re expired. Some people use expired food to feed animals, or are comfortable with which foods are safe past expiration. Here are some additional tips:

• Consider setting aside one shelf/box for things that are close to toss-date.
• Or if you have one of those can-storage things with rollers, put everything you need to use soon in order of expiration and challenge yourself to use whatever is on the front a few times a week
• Use a sharpie to list the use-by date clearly, to help you use things before they’re old
• Don’t spend a ton of money on organizers. Collect small flat boxes from the grocery, or use pieces of wood and mason jars filled with emergency water to make risers. Test out your plan before spending money on it!
• If you have bulk dry-goods bins, remember to periodically empty, wash and dry before refilling.
• Freezers are ESPECIALLY common for lost, expired goods. Consider asking a few friends if they’d like to pool coolers and take turns on this project. (Mark your cooler with painter’s tape and sharpie!) See if anyone wants expired items for animals, or offer on Buy Nothing.