As we face a serious drought, many cities in California
and elsewhere are working hard to waste less water. But we as a nation have yet
to fully comprehend the equally important impact of wasting food.
Nearly one-third of
the fruit, vegetables, grains, meat, and packaged foods produced
across the globe gets tossed out every year. In the U.S., that figure can climb
as high as 40 percent,
to the tune of $165 billion in losses each year. Americans throw away an
average of 20 pounds of
food each month—costing them each between $28 and $43.
As Dana Gunders, staff scientist and “food waste warrior”
at the Natural Resources Defense Council says in the new film “Just Eat It,” which airs tonight on MSNBC,
that’s like leaving the grocery store with four full bags of groceries and
dropping one in the parking lot. But it’s not just our pocketbooks that feel
the strain—our landfills, waterways, and atmosphere all suffer when we produce
more than we consume and waste it in the process.
Much of the wasted food ends up rotting in landfills,
releasing methane—a potent greenhouse gas—into the atmosphere.
Nearly 25
percent of all freshwater consumed annually in the
U.S. is associated with food waste. That’s a little more than the volume of
Lake Erie. And where there’s wasted food, there’s also wasted energy.
As consumers, we can help curb the growing problem by
understanding more about expiration
dates, buying less, purchasing “ugly” fruits
and veggies, and snatching up that last bunch of
lettuce.
And there are also real opportunities for cities and
businesses to keep mountains of food waste out of landfills. Now more than ever
there is a spotlight on the issue via social media
campaigns, online maps, food trucks, dumpster
dining, businesses being
built around waste, as well as chef Dan Barber’s recent pop up
dinner series, wasted.
waste is a sizable, but solvable problem, and all
hands on deck are needed.
Naomi Starkman. (Abril, 2015). Food Waste is a Massive Problem. Julio, 2015, de Civil Eats
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