Egremont Green News: Food waste and climate change

This year, the Egremont Green Committee is focusing on food waste, a global issue with a wide variety of environmental, social, and economic impacts. Food waste has a significant greenhouse gas (GHG) footprint, which exacerbates the climate change crisis. Production, transportation, and handling of food generate significant carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Worse, when food ends up in landfills, it generates methane, a GHG even more potent than CO2. When food is discarded, all efforts made to produce, process, transport, prepare, and store it are also wasted.

Did you know?

• Food waste is a major contributor to climate change. Of all greenhouse gases emitted each year, eight percent result from food loss and waste.
• Thirty-three percent of all food produced globally is wasted every year, which translates to $1.2 trillion annually.
• The average family of four wastes more than $1,500 of food per year.
• If food waste were its own country, it would be the third-highest emitter of GHGs (after China and the United States).
• Food waste is the largest category of waste (at 24 percent by weight) sent to landfills in the United States.
• The average distance that food travels to get to you is 1,500 miles. Consider the source of the food you buy.

Why should we care about food waste?

• Towns that pay for trash hauls by weight will spend less when food waste is separated out and composted.
• Discarded food that is composted contributes valuable nutrients to the soil.
• Safe and healthy food that is thrown away could help feed hungry people and reduce food insecurity. Consider donating to your food pantries.
• Businesses, farmers, and other organizations can receive tax incentives for donating wholesome, unsold food.
• When food is wasted, so too are the land, water, labor, and energy involved in producing, growing, processing, transporting, preparing, storing, and disposing of the food.
• When the amount of food rotting in landfills is reduced, the amount of greenhouse gas generated is also reduced, which in turn mitigates climate change.

Much useful information about how to avoid food waste is available on the web. The following tips are condensed from this site, which has more details. Even small changes can have a large and positive impact on our climate.

• Shopping: Plan ahead and buy only what you know you will use. Check your cupboard and refrigerator so you don’t buy what you already have.
• Use It Up: Find recipes that will use up what is already in your pantry and fridge. Revive veggies by soaking in ice water for five to 10 minutes, or use them in a cooked dish (e.g., soup). Even overcooked vegetables (broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, potatoes) can be transformed into soups or sauces by blending them with stock, milk, or cream.
• Use Your Freezer: Unused bread, vegetables, and fruit can be frozen to extend their life. Freeze your cooked leftovers.
• Reduce Spoilage: Shop for meat, poultry, and seafood last. Then go directly home and put it away. The longer meat and poultry are left out at room temperature, the quicker they will spoil. Cook them to the proper temperatures (see USDA).
• Compost! Sometimes, food just can’t be saved, but you can compost non-meat and non-dairy waste. Learn about composting at home (see the Egremont Green Committee’s tips on backyard composting, here) or see if your town has a community composting facility.