Earth month brings awareness on making the planet a better place to live through environmental education and appreciation. With 35% of all food in the United States uneaten or unsold, solid waste landfills are the third-largest source of human-related methane emissions in the country. By the year 2030, there is a goal to have 50% reduction in food waste across the globe.
Stop Food Waste Day started as a way to bring awareness to the amount of food wasted across the globe. Organizations have began to recognize the significant impact that reducing food waste can have on the planet. Groups like Compass, Food Tank, Eatable, Toast and ReFed founded Stop Food Waste Day in an effort to make an impact across the globe. Together, these groups are fighting food insecurity and climate change.
According to research, over ⅓ of food produced is wasted, ending up in landfills and creating 6% in greenhouse gas emissions. As the theme this year for Earth Day is “Invest in our Planet” it is a reminder that food waste influences the ecosystems through carbon emissions, affecting climate change and filling up landfills. By reducing the amount of food wasted, Earth can become a more sustainable place to live.
The USDA estimates that each year around $1,500 of food goes uneaten for a family of four. Across the United States, 45% of root crops, fruit and vegetables produced globally is lost or wasted per year. Research shows that awareness of food waste has been increasing over the recent years due to climate change along with water and energy usage. Restaurants, grocery stores and companies within the culinary industry are working together to reduce the amount of waste produced.
We spoke to Erin Singer, Vice President of AtlantisValley Foods, LLC in our home state of Wisconsin. “AtlantisValley Foods, LLC is proud to help reduce food waste and also feed those in need all over southern Wisconsin through our donations of prepared food to The River Food Pantry as well as Community Action Coalition”, Singer shared. “Throughout 2021, we were able to provide nearly 34,000 pounds of our locally-made, fresh food to pantries in the area.”
Over in the United Kingdom, Toast, a company who produces beer with old bread, has a vision to create a “beer with more taste and a world without waste.” Using the bread waste to turn it into a beverage has avoided 48 tons of emissions and saved over 2 million slices of bread that would have gone into a landfill.
Begin by being aware to the amount of food waste in your own home or at the office. Start to make sustainable changes in your everyday routine. Decreasing the amount of food waste from your home can help to decrease the waste produced across the United States. By reducing food waste, it could help the environment with 5% lower greenhouse gas emissions and decrease water usage by about 13%.
What are some things you can do to help? Start with composting at home, meal planning and using leftovers in your own home.
Composting is a simple process that could help protect the environment. This process uses food scrapes from your home to help improve the soil such as fruits, vegetables, eggshells or used coffee grounds. This will help reduce gas emissions from landfills. Food scraps and yard waste together currently make up more than 30 percent of what we throw away and could be composted instead.
To help prevent food waste plan out meals for the week. According to research done by ReFed, 76% of surplus food comes from perishable food items which include fruits and vegetables, meats and dairy products. At the store, only purchase the amount of food needed for meals, snacks and the week ahead. Planning meals is unique to every family and changes week to week depending on time and budget.
Did you know that you can get creative with leftover meats and veggies? Transform leftovers into soups, salads or sandwiches. Use the edible parts of food that you normally do not eat. Stale bread can be used to make croutons or vegetable scraps can be used for soup stock. In April, Treo releases low food waste recipes on the Whole-Person Wellbeing Platform. Check out ideas like asparagus-end pesto and more!
With uneaten foods and undernourished Americans, learning how to prevent food waste is a concern across the globe. Ask questions at the office about what happens to leftover food items. 25% of the food wasted globally could feed all 795 million undernourished people in the world.
Laura Kuglitsch is a Certified Wellness Coach and Account Manager with Treo Wellness. She has a background in Kinesiology and holds a Master’s Degree in Health and Wellness Management. She is certified as a personal trainer, resiliency coach, and behavior change specialist. With over 15 years of experience in the wellness industry within a variety of settings, Laura enjoys teaching others about living a healthy lifestyle. She believes that living a healthy lifestyle does not have to be a one size fits all approach. Find what you enjoy doing, experience the moments and laugh along the way.
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