Food Waste

How Does Food Waste Impact the Environment?

Direct and Indirect Emissions from Food Waste

Emissions from food production:

When food is produced, it requires a significant amount of resources such as water, land, and energy. When food is wasted, these resources are also wasted, and the emissions that were produced during their production are also wasted.

Emissions from food decomposition:

When food waste ends up in landfills, it decomposes and produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas that is 83 times more powerful than carbon dioxide in terms of its impact on climate change over a 20 year period.

Here are a Few Great Ways to Reduce our Food Waste

Plan your meals ahead of time: Planning our meals ahead of time can help us avoid buying more food than we need and reduce the chances of food spoiling before we can use it.

Store food properly: Store food in airtight containers and in the correct temperature to keep them fresh and avoid spoilage.

Use up leftovers: Before cooking a new meal, check your refrigerator for leftovers or foods that are nearing their expiration date. Try to use them up in new dishes or incorporate them into meals.

Compost food scraps: Instead of throwing away food scraps, you can compost them to create nutrient-rich soil for your garden or plants. Non-animal food scraps such as egg shells, fruit peels, ends of vegetables, coffee grounds, and tea leaves can be composted to reduce food waste and add nutrients back into the soil.