Food waste - an unacceptable problem.
This topic is near and dear to our hearts. Per the national non-profit ReFED, 1 in 10 Americans are not sure where their next meal is coming from (and how they are going to pay for it) & 38% of all food produced is never sold or eaten. Tons of food are wasted; millions of people are food insecure - what an unacceptable problem.
Here are ways you can prevent/reduce your food waste & responsibly dispose of it if that’s not possible:
Buy less (bulk shopping is great for this), plan meals ahead of time & store food properly. Support local growers & shop at farmers markets when you can.
Use common sense (and your nose) with “sell by/best by” dates. Before you decide not to buy (or eat) something due to the date on the package, consider that nearly all “sell by/best by” dates are decided by the food manufacturer. In the US, only infant formula is federally regulated with a “sell by” date; meat, eggs and milk are also regulated, but it’s up to individual states.
Got 6 minutes? Watch this super quick film from Harvard, Expired! to learn more about this issue.
Keep food waste out of landfills by composting your leftovers & kitchen scraps. California & parts of Oregon/Washington offer residential composting via local trash/recycling haulers. Full participation by households, businesses & restaurants is very important because food in landfill releases methane, a dangerous greenhouse gas that traps 50x more heat than CO2. Alternatively, food separated from trash can be turned into valuable compost - the ultimate circular solution!
Chances are you probably don’t have the benefit of curbside composting pick up in your city, but do check with your local recycling company. If you don’t have this service, consider an innovative home composting machine like Lomi. Or subscribe to a monthly food waste collection service through companies like Mill.
Of course, if you have the space & want to learn how to compost on your own, that’s another fabulous option; the environment & your garden will thank you.
Learn how to stop wasting food by planning meals, storing food properly, eating/using as much as you can & composting the rest.
Save/bookmark Stop Food Waste for their fabulous food saving tips, creative (and tasty) recipes & downloadable guides to help reduce wasted food at schools and businesses.
From the late Anthony Bourdain, we recommend the film WASTED! The Story of Food Waste, which sheds light on this staggering problem & offers solutions too. Chef Dan Barber is featured in the film & was also interviewed years ago by Epicurious magazine: check out this article with some great ideas on otherwise wasted kitchen scraps
Support organizations who help prevent waste. There are many non-profits across the country (and the world) with a mission to tackle food waste. Many partner with grocery stores, caterers, restaurants, colleges etc to save tons of surplus food from going to waste.
ReFED, mentioned at the beginning of this blog, is dedicated to ending food waste. They are a collaboration of businesses, nonprofits, foundations and government leaders working closely together to achieve a 50% food waste reduction in accordance with the United Nations’ 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Check out all their great, data-driven work on the ReFED website.
Large national food banks like Feeding America & student-led organizations like The Food Recovery Network are doing incredible work. And of course there are countless regional & local food banks and recovery centers to chose from.
There are also apps you can download to your phone from global companies like Too Good to Go, focusing on partnering with food establishments to offer “end of day” bundles at a great price to you!
