Why is food waste an issue?
Waste not, want not.
Despite what our parents told us growing up, the problem with food waste isn’t just that people in the world are going hungry, which is bad enough.
The negative effects of food waste also deliver some terrible consequences for the planet.
Trucks transporting food waste emit carbon dioxide and landfill emits methane and toxic leachate into our waterways. In fact, food waste accounts for more than five percent of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions.
What is food waste?https://iugis.com/blog/a-digester-is-the-solution-to-your-food-waste-problem
Food waste occurs when food intended for human consumption either does not reach the consumer or is not eaten and thrown away by the consumer.
If we think about our food system as a series of steps from paddock to plate, food waste can occur at almost any point. It can occur on the farms where crops are grown and harvested, in the plants where ingredients are processed and food products manufactured, on the trucks food is transported in, at the restaurants where delicious meals are prepared and the stores we buy our groceries from.
And we certainly know it's occurring in the homes and kitchens of consumers where items can be thrown out for a variety of reasons, including, disorganisation, confusing labelling, odd shaped produce and too large portion sizes.
Some common misconceptions about food waste
‘Many different items are disposed of daily, surely not much of it is food waste?’
In fact, one third of all perfectly edible food is going to waste within our society. Food waste is a big problem.
- ‘Food disintegrates and will erode into the land.’
Food waste mixed into landfill will rot and emit methane, a potent greenhouse gas that is 25 times more efficient at trapping heat than carbon dioxide. Not all food waste is degradable, it can take years for some foods such as fast food to properly disintegrate.
2. ‘My food waste is not that much, I only throw out a little bit each day.’
In the UK approximately 140 kgs of edible food per person goes to waste each year. This equals around 270 kg of carbon emissions per person. (source). This is around as much as a flight from London to Barcelona.
In Australia approximately 300 kgs per person of edible food is thrown away each year, this equals 570 kg of carbon emissions per person. (source). This is around as much as a flight from Sydney to Melbourne.
3. ‘There is nothing I can do to change my food waste habits.’
False! There are many different things we are able to do as a society to address this challenge. They include:
- Not overbuying - it is important to only buy what you need, especially in regards to perishable goods.
- Monitoring your wastage - you will most likely not be able to change your wastage habits overnight, but holding yourself accountable for what has gone to waste will help develop better habits.
- Diverting your food waste from landfill - finding more sustainable ways to manage the food waste you do produce. Utilising alternative methods of managing food waste such as a food digester can be an excellent way to divert food waste.
This blog first appeared on the iugis website here.