I often joke that it’s a good thing I have two grocery stores within a block of me, because I’m at one or the other every two days.
That may not sound very efficient, but I’m a huge fan of fresh food (veggies, meat, dairy) and my frequent visits have allowed me to cut down on the food that goes to waste in my refrigerator and cupboards.
You might be thinking, “Well, so what if you throw away a few unused things here and there?” But, food waste is actually a massive global problem.
In the U.S., we throw away an estimated 40 percent of the foods we buy. John Mandyck, Chief Sustainability Officer at United Technologies and author of Food Foolish, likens it to leaving the store with three bags of groceries and throwing one out the window before you even get home.
The idea of food waste also encompasses water. You know that head of broccoli you forgot about and now must toss? That’s also flushing away the 5.4 gallons of water used to grow it. If you apply the 40 percent waste to a party of eight, that’s equivalent to all eight people running the tap for two hours.
Food labeling only adds to the problem. All those “best by,” “sell by,” “use by,” and “fresh by” dates are incredibly confusing. You might actually be throwing out an item way before it needs to go. Fortunately, there’s an initiative in Congress that’s trying to bring uniformity to the labeling so consumers don’t throw good food away prematurely.
These are all issues on the consumer level, but there’s global consequence as well in terms of carbon footprint. Two-thirds of waste on the planet happens at production and distribution points… long before it even reaches store shelves.
You might not be able to effect much change in that area, but as a consumer, there John says there are steps you can start taking today to make a difference.
1) Shop with a plan, not your eyes. Go in with a list and stick to it.
2) Bring back the doggy bag! Those perfectly good leftovers at your favorite restaurant will just go in the trash if you don’t take them for lunch the next day.
3) Your food doesn’t have to be aesthetically pleasing. Remember, not all food is produced uniformly. That crooked carrot is still a carrot.
This episode is a quick one (less than nine minutes!), but it is mighty. I hope you take a few minutes to hear what John and host Melanie Cole, MS, have to share.
Sylver Lyning 