“One person can make a difference, and everyone should try.”
John F. Kennedy
Growing up, the mantra at my dinner table was “eat everything on your plate”. I was constantly reminded about starving children around the world, and that stuck with me. As a result, to this day, I hate to waste food. But now I have even more reasons. Reducing food waste is a win-win.
Food waste and climate change
When I started digging into climate change, I was surprised to learn that decomposing food in landfills produces massive amounts of methane. Admittedly, I was clueless about this problem. In fact, according to Project Drawdown, reducing food waste is one of the solutions that can make the most substantial impact on climate change.
About food waste
A few staggering facts about food waste:
- In the US, we waste 30-40% of the food we produce
- The average American family tosses over $1800 of food each year
- Decomposing food in landfills releases methane, a powerful heat-trapping gas
- Approximately 8% of greenhouse gases come from food waste
What can you do?
With the rising cost of food, now is a great time to take a look at your habits. Here are a few ideas to consider:
- If it’s feasible, make more frequent, smaller grocery trips
- Plan meals ahead, and only buy what is needed
- Be more conscious about using leftovers
- If you need to toss, use a garbage disposal
Reducing food waste is a win-win
A lot of food waste occurs at the industrial level, and that needs to change. However, simple, individual household changes can add up to make a big difference too.
In short, reducing food waste is a win-win – it saves you money and helps solve climate change.
Let’s do something about climate change. Learn about it. Think about it. Talk about it.