What Are the Major Sources of Food Waste?
Food Waste is a serious problem that has been increasing over the years. As stated in an article written by Aaron Pressman, food waste is responsible for about 7% of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, which is even more potent than carbon dioxide. Just in the United States, food loss and waste are responsible for 170 million metric tons of greenhouse gas. Food waste is negatively impacting the environment because of these various sources, so learning about them will help us improve and better understand how to prevent it. The two major sources of food waste are grocery stores and restaurants, but there are ideas on how to help stop them.
Finding a Solution for Grocery Store Waste
Grocery stores are one of the major sources of food waste because of the amount of damaged produce being thrown away, and the amount of food reaching its expiration or “sell by” dates. Instead of throwing away the damaged produce, grocery stores can give the produce to food pantries that need them. According to the article, “Concord startup is diverting supermarket food waste to generate clean power,” “In 2014, Massachusetts legislators passed a law limiting the amount of food waste that companies can put in the trash” (Pressman, 2022). By making this a law, it decreases the amount of food waste sourced from grocery stores.
A company called Divert is also trying to help prevent food waste within grocery stores by having stores send them their expired and damaged items. In the company, they sort these food products with optical scanning technology that shows what is edible and what is not. They then send the edible food to food pantries and the other food gets converted into renewable energy. Anaerobic digestion is the process of turning waste into clean energy, which can be used to produce energy, heat homes, and power vehicles.
Restaurant Waste Has A Major Impact
The other major source of food waste is from restaurants because of their improper employee training, overproduction, improper food storage, and lack of access to composting. According to the article, “Researchers’ recipe for cutting restaurant food waste,” “A recent study in Switzerland showed that almost 60% of climate impacts of food waste are caused by households and food services.” Food services include restaurants, fast-food places, and catering. This shows how restaurants or food services in general are a huge source of food waste for the world. In order to prevent the food waste, changes can include improving the inventory management and menu planning so that ordering too much food isn't a problem, training employees on waste and food sorting in general so they don’t throw things away in the wrong places, and adopting recycling and composting technologies because they are a great investment to help out the environment. Also, making sure that the cost of things are true is important so that it helps align market prices with social values.
Finding Solutions for Food Waste
There are many ways people are trying to decrease the amount of food waste coming from grocery stores and restaurants, but one of the biggest and most helpful ways of doing that is through apps. Apps such as Too Good To Go and FlashFood are created for restaurants and grocery stores to sell their unwanted products for a lower price. For example, if a restaurant makes too much food, instead of throwing the rest away at the end of the day, the employees can scan the products into the FlashFood system to be sold at half the price. This is also inclusive to the people who have limits on money. The article, “Apps aim to curb food waste Companies say connecting buyers with uneaten edibles also combats climate change,” states that, “Blue branded fridges sit in the front of grocery stores with signs encouraging people to help fight food waste.” This makes people feel good about buying from the fridge instead of feeling smaller.
It’s Time to Make a Change
Overall, food waste is extremely harmful for the environment and can cause great issues for the future. Grocery stores and restaurants are the major sources of food waste but people are finding ways to decrease the waste and there are many ways to contribute. Some of the ways to contribute are through apps, proposing laws, and mainly spreading awareness. With everyone’s contributions, we can make a difference.
Eloise Atkins, 9th grade student, Terra Linda High School, San Rafael, CA
Works Cited:
“Apps Aim to Curb Food Waste Companies Say Connecting Buyers with Uneaten Edibles Also Combats Climate Change.” Proquest.com, 2023, explore.proquest.com/elibrary/document/2716845427?searchid=1697218517&accountid=194106. Accessed 16 Oct. 2023.
“Concord Startup Is Diverting Supermarket Food Waste to Generate Clean Power.” Proquest.com, 2023, explore.proquest.com/elibrary/document/2727931259?searchid=1697489552&accountid=194106. Accessed 16 Oct. 2023.
“Researchers’ Recipe for Cutting Restaurant Food Waste.” Proquest.com, 2023, explore.proquest.com/elibrary/document/2833899020?searchid=1697218430&accountid=194106. Accessed 16 Oct. 2023.