Cutting back food waste
Forty percent of all food in the US goes uneaten, according to estimates from The National Resource Defense Council – that’s about $165 billion wasted each year; and costs the average four person family from $1,350 to $2,275 a year. To put it into perspective, it’s about 20 pounds of food wasted per person, every month.
A study recently published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics found that when trays were removed from a buffet style dining service, the solid waste patrons (in this case students) threw out decreased by 18 percent - from 4.39 ounces (with trays) to 3.58 ounces once the trays were removed. Knowing you can take only what you can carry seems like a great way to reduce wasted food and also curb over-eating in buffet and similar settings.
Wasting food is a large source of guilt for Americans, and according to the Eco Pulse Survey from the Shelton Group, 39 percent of us feel “the most green guilt” from wasting food. That’s nearly double the amount that feels guilty about not recycling.
McKinsey Consulting recently reported that standardizing expiration dates on foods could prevent up to 20 percent of food waste at home. Clearly consumers are often confused about "best by" versus "sell by" dates and putting in place a standard could prevent further unnecessary waste.
The School of Engineering at University of Edinburgh, and others are testing the use of compost to produce renewable energy for water and heat. Researchers found that once the infrastructure is put in place, it's cost is comparable to it's rivals.
Reducing food waste will not only save consumers money but will also save resources. It’s time to educate and empower supermarkets, food companies, and consumers about how to curb waste.
Comments (2)
Christina Daugert:
Nov 09, 2012 at 10:29 AM
This is a topic that has had me puzzled. I assumed I was just too tired or lazy after working all day to use all of my food purchases for the week. I rechecked all of my storage methods and refrigerator settings yet things remained the same. Most noticeable were fresh items such as celery, lettuce cucumbers and bananas. Now that I am retired and home all day, I am using these items sooner but I still see the same pattern of rapid decline. Paying more for Organic products such as bananas, has helped. Could it be the chemicals? Could it be the Supermarket conditions? I am also puzzled by the short shelf life on products such as beer , soda and some canned soups. Before "dating" it was usually enough to check the packaging for dings, dents, rust or by pressing the top to be sure it didn't move . Any thoughts to share?
Thank You
Chris
Susan:
Nov 12, 2012 at 08:39 AM
Excellent post - especially with regard to standardization of expiration dates. I would also suggest having a standard location on product packaging and a font most can read as well.
Those of us concerned with food waste need to continue to build awareness of this issue, its impact and provide solutions. I just posted an article on this very subject with some ideas for reducing waste: http://livinginnovative.blogspot.com/
As many families are strapped for time and resources due to work and family obligations, solutions should be easy to implement, cost effective and if possible, convenient.
Thanks, Susan
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