“If you do the things that are easier first, then you can actually make a lot of progress.”
Mark Zuckerberg
Last Wednesday was Stop Food Waste Day. Yep, there really is a day for everything. I went to an event featuring speakers from corporations and nonprofits, all tackling this gigantic problem. It was energizing, so I’m passing along a few takeaways.
How big is the food waste problem?
Bigger than most people think. The USDA estimates that 30 to 40% of food produced in the U.S. is wasted every year. That’s about 325 pounds per person. Every. Year. Now envision that in terms of dollars down the drain. Food is the #1 material in landfills by weight and around 40% of it was still edible when tossed. What we throw away is more than enough to feed every food-insecure person in our country. Ugh.
What does this have to do with climate change?
When food rots in landfills, it releases methane, a potent heat-trapping gas. And it’s not just the food we waste. When we toss it, we also waste all the energy, water, and labor that went into growing, preparing, and transporting it. According to Project Drawdown, reducing food waste is one of the most impactful ways to slow climate change. A lot of the waste happens at the industrial level, but we are part of the equation too.
The easiest possible climate solution?
During the program, one of the speakers was asked to give a simple call-to-action for someone wanting to reduce food waste. Her answer was brilliant in its simplicity: Don’t go grocery shopping when you’re hungry. Mind. Blown.
It could not be more true that when I roll into the grocery store feeling hangry, I buy twice as much as I normally would. I would add that when I’m thirsty, I go in hard on fruit and vegetables. And when we buy too much, we waste. Buying less means wasting less. Sometimes it’s that simple.
What can we do?
So the next time you are heading to the grocery store, stop and have a snack first. Seriously. That small move can keep food out of landfills and methane out of the atmosphere. I’m not suggesting this is the only thing we do, but it’s easy, and it works. Want more tips about reducing food waste? Check out this post.
And if you want to do more on climate, volunteering can help. Even as little as an hour a month can make a real impact. I just wrote about this for C-Change Conversations and shared some ideas about how to take the first step.
Let’s do something about climate change. Learn about it. Talk about it. Help solve it.