A recent study of over 5,000 American households found that Americans throw away almost 70 percent of the food they buy. When asked why they waste food, survey participants cited spoilage as the number one reason. If you're interested in some techniques that may help you save money by wasting less food, read on. We've compiled some simple ideas to help you better utilize plastic food storage containers.

1. Freezer-proof storage bags: these are special plastic food storage containers that were developed to keep food from freezer burn. While storing food in sub-zero temperatures, it can undergo a chemical process that dehydrates the food and gives it a bad taste. This chemical process is freezer burn. Special freezer bags are available that will help your food avoid freezer burn and remain as you bought it for as long as 3 years.

2. Breathable vegetable bags: this is a new item on the market that is designed especially for fruits and vegetables. They work by sealing your fruits and veggies against spoilage while allowing a small amount of air circulation inside the bag. This tends to keep them fresh for much longer than conventional plastic food storage containers - depending on the produce, up to six weeks.

Third, consider using multi-compartment plastic food storage containers to store small quantities of leftovers, soups, fruits, and vegetables. They are remarkably convenient because you can open a single cube of frozen food without having to deal with the rest of the cubes. This makes it much easier to freeze individual servings of soups or fruit.

4. Vacuum food storage has several advantages, from taking up less freezer space to extending the storage time with great quality. Air causes foods to become stale or spoil, and removing it using special bags and a special vacuum machine reduces volume and keeps foods fresh much longer than any other method. Special attachments allow you to remove air from your plastic food storage containers as well. Vacuum storage not only takes less space in the freezer but also protects against the damage of freezer burn.

Special food storage containers address various concerns like lack of storage space in your refrigerator or freezer, wastage of money by throwing food or just enabling you to keep your food fresher for longer. Achieve long term food storage by storing your grocery for much longer in these special containers designed for the purpose and avoid having to throw your food into the garbage.