Three simple ways to deal with food waste

Spoiled apples ready to be landfilled.

Throwing away that apple we bought and never ate might not seem like a big deal, but when we consider the millions of people who do the same every day, it becomes much more apparent that food waste is indeed a big problem. The United States Department of Agriculture estimates that between 30 and 40% of the food supplied by retailers is never eaten. This represents a yearly cost of $1,600 for an average American family. Moreover, more than 90% of the wasted food is taken to a landfill where it produces carbon dioxide and methane, gases that comprise the largest share of greenhouse emissions. Even though landfilled food emits an equal amount of both gases, the effect of methane on global warming is up to 36 times as strong as that of carbon dioxide, making food waste a serious source of pollution.

Some of the food waste, also known as food loss, comes from suppliers and there is not much consumers can do about it. However, we are in control of how much food we put in the garbage bin. The following tips can help us to reduce waste.

Source: Author's calculations based on data by the United States Department of Agriculture.

Buy only as much as you need. Every week, the average American eats 0.6 pounds of cheese, 1.6 pounds of fats and oils, 5.2 pounds of fruits and 3.6 pounds meat and poultry. Although exact amounts differ from person to person, it is worth to take these numbers in consideration when going to the supermarket. This quantity can be reduced or increased until it matches your individual levels of weekly consumption.

Compost is healthy for our plants.

Compost! Compost! Compost! Composting is a form of decomposition or fermentation that converts organic waste into material that improves soil quality. Food waste can be composted through bokashi, vermicomposting and other means from home or inside industrial composters at specialized waste management facilities. Composting from home is preferable if your waste mainly consists of fruits and vegetables. Meat and dairy products emit foul smell and are more likely to attract scavengers and insects. The composting of these products is better served by industrial facilities. Industrial composting might also be preferable if there is not enough space in the building to place a bin. The disadvantage of this type of composting is that it is not available in all municipalities. It is important to consider factors such as waste composition and availability of space before deciding whether to compost at home or not.

Dried orange and herbs give dishes a great taste.

Preserve your food to slow down decomposition. We often buy perishable items that we fail to eat before the expiration date. When this happens, decay can be slowed down in different ways. Dehydration dries the liquid content of fruits and vegetables preventing the growth of microorganisms responsible for decomposition. Experts from the University of Minnesota suggest that electric dehydrators are the most efficient method to dry food. From the environmental perspective, sun and air drying are the most eco-friendly options. However, the first is limited to sunny low-humidity locations such as Arizona, and the second requires a properly ventilated room, condition that might not be properly met by all buildings. Therefore, it is necessary to choose a dehydration method that best suits your geographic location and the physical conditions of your house or apartment. Meat and seafood can be preserved with the help of salt and pepper or marinated with wine or soy and canned in special containers if strong taste is not a problem for you.