Blog | 8 Refrigerator Organisation Tips for More Space & Less Waste
Posted by Howards on 5th Jun 2025
8 Refrigerator Organisation Tips for More Space & Less Waste
Having a cluttered fridge is a common problem, especially if you tend to stock up on food whenever possible, or have a lot of condiments that eat up valuable space. Staying on top of your fridge organisation isn’t just about making sure you don’t run out of space when you need it, but preventing food waste if things are spoiling faster than they should.
Having a good system in place makes it simple to find your ingredients and also keeps your food fresh longer. Putting in the work to organise the space now will make it a whole lot easier to keep it organised later, too.
Follow along as we explain how to organise fridge space with some handy refrigerator organisation ideas that’ll help you save money, reduce wasted food, and speed up the ingredient-finding stage of cooking!
1. Schedule fridge cleaning and decluttering more regularly
If you’re worried about how to arrange refrigerator space so that you don’t build up too many things and create clutter, the best way to start is to have a schedule of when you’ll clean or declutter your fridge.
Whether you have a set day of the week that you go shopping, or if you pick things up as needed, using the night before as your declutter time will let you compost or throw away anything that is old or no longer wanted, so that you have a fresh start the next day when you bring groceries home.
Throw out anything that is expired and any leftovers that you probably aren’t going to eat in time. Then give decluttered shelves a wipe down with a damp microfibre cloth, so you have a clean start for your shopping to come.
2. Create a FIFO system (First In, First Out)
Nightclubs use a one in, one out system when they start running out of space, and you can use a similar system to keep fridge space freed up: first in, first out! By using or throwing out your oldest items first, you’re not only making sure you constantly use up the oldest ingredients, but can help to ensure none of them go past their use by date or spoil before you get to them.
This can also help you avoid getting items stuck at the back of the fridge out of sight, as you’ll stay more aware of when things were purchased and when you need to use them by.
3. Arrange food items by category on each fridge shelf
Once you have a good system for using your ingredients (like FIFO), it’s time to look at how to organise fridge space so that finding the right ingredients is faster. Grouping categories of items together is a great way to stay on top of fridge space, and by using high-quality food storage containers, you can easily divide up your fridge shelf space.
Putting your long-life items in a container at the back of the fridge will keep fresh fruit and vegetables at the front and more easily accessible, and having all your condiments together and dairy items together will keep them right where you need them, while also condensing the space they take up.
4. Clearly label leftovers and opened items, your future self will appreciate it
Keeping on top of your fridge organisation is all about putting in the time to get everything in place so that maintaining it is simple. Having a good labelling system pays off the more you stick to it, too. Making sure to label any leftovers or opened items with something as simple as a date means you greatly reduce how often things spoil before you get to them.
Using erasable container labels will quickly transform your fridge space so that with a glance you can see how long you have before things need to be thrown out or composted, and will cut down on food waste once you get into the habit of labelling!
Erasable Food Container Labels with Pen & Eraser
YouCopia ReStickable 3D Fridge Labels - 10 Pack
Appetito Clear Vinyl Pantry Labels
iDesign x The Home Edit Clear Fridge Labels - 18 Pack
5. Use lazy susans & clear storage containers to easily locate your ingredients
Another refrigerator organisation idea is to use lazy susans and clear storage containers (we even stock handy can holders) so that visibility isn’t a problem and things don’t “go missing” when they’re hidden behind larger items. Lazy susans are a fantastic addition to any fridge, especially for storing condiments as you can spin it to access items at the back, and you won’t lose any fridge shelf real estate as the lazy susan itself can fit quite a few items on it.
You can further extend the life of your fruits and vegetables with our range of fruit and produce storage containers that will keep them fresh for longer and cut down on food waste, without taking up extra space as many are designed to stack.
Joseph Joseph FridgeStore™ Organisers
YouCopia Fridge Organisers
iDesign Fridge Organisers
Felli Fridge Organisers
OXO Fridge Organisers
6. Utilise the fridge’s crisper drawers effectively for freshness
Clever ideas for to keep produce fresh for longer (suggested heading)
Crisper drawers are one of the most under-utilised spaces in the fridge, with many people just throwing items in there as though it’s extra drawer space, and not using the crisper to its full potential. Maximising the space available by using extra containers for your fridge drawers will keep food fresh for longer, since crisper drawers and containers are designed to control air flow and even stay colder to extend the lifespan of fruit and vegetables.
Keeping everything grouped and organised in your crisper drawers puts you back in control and will ultimately save you time and money with less spoilage.
Good Things AvoClam
Banana Bag
Cuisena Fresh Keepers
5 Pack of Produce Mesh Bags
7. Maximise your fridge cleaning efforts with fridge deodorisers & absorbers
One of the key culprits in causing fruit and vegetables to go bad is ethylene gas, which is released as fruit ripens. Normally, ethylene is what causes fruit to soften and become sweeter, but the saying “one bad apple spoils the bunch” comes from the effect ethylene gas can have on other fruits and vegetables if not controlled.
Use science to stay on top of the problem and keep your fridge smelling fresh, with our handy produce extenders and fridge deodorisers, which improve air flow or absorb ethylene gas, extending the life of produce up to 3 times longer and also keep things dry by absorbing excess moisture!
White Magic Stay Fresh Mat
White Magic Eco Basics Fridge Deodoriser
Keep Fresh Cartridge
Bluapple Classic 2 Pack Produce Freshness Extender
8. This key tip is overlooked – Keep items at the right temperature
This may seem like the most obvious of our fridge organisation tips, but making sure your fridge temperature is set correctly can help to extend the life of your food and improve efficiency of your refrigerator.
Every fridge has different recommended settings, but keeping the temperature between 1°C and 4°C is ideal, with Food Standards Australia New Zealand recommending that you keep it below 5°C to avoid growth of bacteria that can cause food poisoning.
Also keep raw, uncooked foods in airtight or original packaging on lower shelves, dairy products on middle shelves and leftovers on the top shelf in quality food containers to extend their life – labelled of course!
Put in place all these practical solutions with quality products from trusted brands designed to last, and you’ll save valuable time, waste less which is great for your budget and even better for the planet.
Put in place all these practical solutions with quality products from trusted brands designed to last, and you’ll save valuable time, waste less which is great for your budget and even better for the planet.