Food Waste
Food waste is one of the most overlooked acts we all partake in, yet it has such a massive impact on so many aspects of our lives. There are so many issues that come from wasting food including the environment, sociological issues or simply hitting our wallets. It’s something that we can’t continue to ignore and have to change our ways if we want to live more sustainably.
The Scary Facts
Food waste may not be evident to many, but it’s happening all the time. Just think about when you got to a restaurant. I’m sure many of you have heard stories of people who worked at restaurants or seen first hand of how much food waste can happen on a daily basis. From people leaving food on their plates to the restaurant itself throwing out food that was not able to be eaten that day.
Let’s get into some of the statistics that may surprise you. According to the USDA, approximately 1/5 of America’s food ends up as waste every year. That equates to an estimated 130 pounds of food per person and a total value of $31 billion lost. I knew that the amount of money we lose each year because of food lost was high, but that is much higher than I ever expected.
What’s worse is that the EPA estimates that 12.5 % of all solid waste is from food scraps. Of that percentage, only a very small part of it is actually recovered. The major problem with so much waste product ending up in landfills is that it generates dangerous methane gas. Not only is methane much more of a potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, but landfills are one of the leading causes of it’s generation. Because of the uncontrolled nature of a landfill, methane gas is much more likely to form than if it were diverted into a controlled manner.
The Biggest Culprits
It’s tough to really point the finger at anyone about this issue since it seems like everybody is taking part in making this a huge issue, but the commercial and retail food industry are massive producers of food waste. This includes restaurants, conveniences/grocery stores and food suppliers. Some of the main ways that food can be lost prior to even getting to our homes and the major ways that make me upset include discarding of imperfect foods, transportation and strange unwritten rules. Well actually, these can be the same reason that we discard food at our homes.
No So Perfect
We are actually the biggest reasons that so much food goes to waste. So many people demand that our food looks picture perfect and will not accept any less. The reason so many in the food industry discard of foods, in particular fruits and vegetables, is for this very reason. The nicer it looks, the more consumers are inclined to buy. This practice needs to stop as it makes absolutely no sense. I have tasted so many foods that many not look the nicest, but tastes really great.
Why the Long Trip?
When food is transported for thousands of miles, there are bound to be some loses along the way. Not only does the transportation of food generate tons of greenhouse gases, but it also causes more food waste. It makes sense that the longer food is just sitting in a truck, the most waste is going to be generated.
Who ever said…?
Who ever said that all the extra food that a restaurant or nearly expire food a grocery store has to be tossed in the trash? This goes back to strange “rules” that many food businesses follow that say they must throw these items in the trash. I just don’t get this, why not provide these perfectly good food items to local food kitchens and homeless shelters to give perfectly good food to people that need it. Even if these organizations don’t want to take food, why not try to sell it at a discounted price? Regardless of where it goes, there is no reason it needs to end up in the trash.
What to do
There are so many ways we can help in reducing the amount of food waste that is generated.
Buying Locally
I have given so many reason to buy local produce and this is yet another one. Local farmers only need to transport their foods over short distances and getting it to the consumer in shorter periods of time. This means that far less food will be wasted. It is also typical that local farmers sell produce that is really ripe for a discounted price. Foods transported across the country can’t do this since the food wouldn’t make it on the long trip.
Plan Wisely
When we plan before going shopping for food, it allows us to more precisely determine how much food we need. This means that less food will be wasted since we weren’t able to use it. Even if you do buy locally, it can be easy to buy foods that we simply aren’t going to use.
Order Appropriately
Whenever we go into restaurants, we order way more food that we can eat and end up not eating most of it. Not only can you save money, but it will reduce the amount of waste restaurants are generating. Instead of ordering that appetizer that was not really necessary, order just a main dish that you can eat. Also, don’t feel obligated to buy a dessert even after you are already full.
Compost
Take up composting. As I mentioned above, in a controlled environment like a compost bin, far less greenhouse gases are emitted. It also gives you a great fertilizer that you can put in your own garden.
Nobody is perfect and we all waste food at times. By becoming more aware of the situation, we reduce as much food waste as possible. Also be sure to check out this great article by Tristram Stuart about The Scandal of Food Waste.
