How to Reduce Your Food Waste
Food waste is a common problem in the United States, with over 30-40% of the country's food supply going uneaten every year. This shows us a significant financial loss for households and businesses and has a harmful environmental impact. Let’s explore the causes of food waste in America and its effects on the environment.
One of the main causes of food waste in the United States is our culture of excess. We have a tendency to over-purchase and over-consume food, often throwing out perfectly good leftovers or uneaten portions. This is particularly true in restaurants, where customers are often served portions they cannot finish. Also, our food supply chain is super inefficient, with food often spoiling before it reaches its destination or being discarded due to cosmetic imperfections.
In a restaurant, 66% of the trash is food waste. In a fast food restaurant, 53% of the trash is food waste. 95% of a restaurant’s total waste could be recycled, donated, or composted. But it is not.
When food waste ends up in landfills, it decomposes and releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas contributing to global warming. In fact, the Environmental Protection Agency estimates that food waste is the third-largest source of methane emissions in the United States, behind only landfills and the agricultural sector.
Food waste also has a huge impact on water resources. It takes a tremendous amount of water to produce our food, and when it goes to waste, it is also wasted. For example, it takes 1,847 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of beef — that's enough water to fill 39 bathtubs all the way to the top. In addition, food production generates significant amounts of pollution, including nitrogen and phosphorus runoff from fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides. When this food waste ends up in landfills, these pollutants can leach into nearby water sources, damaging aquatic ecosystems and potentially impacting human health.
There are many ways that individuals can help to reduce food waste in their own lives. One simple step is to plan meals and only purchase the food you need. This can help reduce the amount of food that goes uneaten and ends up in the trash. Additionally, households can compost their food waste, which can help reduce the methane produced in landfills.
Businesses can also play a role in reducing food waste. Restaurants can offer smaller portion sizes and provide customers with the option to take home uneaten food. Supermarkets can donate unsold food to charities instead of throwing it away, and food producers can implement better supply chain management to reduce spoilage.
How can we decrease our food waste? It starts with source reduction - simply reducing the surplus food volume generated makes an enormous impact.
Source Reduction
Plan your meals.
Be realistic about your vegetable-eating goals.
Reconsider the restaurants you frequent.
Save money. For every $1 invested in reduction, the savings potential can be as much as $8!
Feed People & Animals
Donate extra food to food banks, soup kitchens, and shelters
In 1996 the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Act was signed into law to protect food donors from liability, making it legal to safely donate food so long as it’s donated in “good faith” that it is safe to eat.
Divert food not suitable for people to animals such as backyard chickens or local farmers’ livestock.
Home Composting
Start composting in your backyard or in your home.
Grow healthier plants with your compost.
Medium Scale Community Composting
Fertile Ground Cooperative is in this category. We serve a large area in Oklahoma City. We can help you divert waste from the landfill with our pick up service or you can drop it off at various locations in the city.
Let us embark on this transformative journey, reducing our overconsumption, and embracing better practices throughout the food system. In doing so, we not only mitigate the impacts of food waste but also lay the foundation for a future where sustenance and sustainability coexist harmoniously. The time for change is now—let us waste no more.