According to a recent report from the Natural Resources Defense Council, around 40% of food in the United States is never eaten, amounting to $165 billion a year in waste.
Since food is cheap and in such abundance in the United States, food being wasted is not a concern for most people. Buying in bulk, which tends to be cheaper, or serving food in larger portions than people can eat, such as in buffets, will lead to food being wasted.
Retailers would overstock displays or shelves, making products at the bottom to rot and being thrown out. Ready-to-eat food is also being trashed due to excess supply.
Not only does waste occur at the end of the supply chain, but also in the beginning. Farmers would plant more than demanded, creating excess they can’t sell, which would go to waste. Food production accounts for 80% of the fresh water consumption in the United States, and since 40% of food is wasted, so does 25% of our fresh water supply.
So where do all those wasted food go? They end up in landfills, which will decompose and release methane gas. Methane gas is a greenhouse gas that is 20% more effective at trapping heat than carbon dioxide, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. So we should stop blaming cows for the methane gas emissions and get to the root of the real problem, our waste of food.
So what can we do to help? First of all, try not to waste food. Consider reducing portion size to reduce waste, and waist. Secondly, it is economically sound to buy in bulk to save money, but consider this, if you cannot finish that 6 pound box of cereal before its expiration date or before you get bored of eating it, try buying a smaller box instead. If you are going to throw it out after eating ¼ of it, you are actually saving money and the environment by buying a smaller size that you can finish. And lastly, try reading the expiration dates carefully, don’t throw out fresh food products simply because you misinterpret a “sell by” date with a “use by” date.
Stop the waste of food not only benefit the environment, but also people who are hungry simply because they can’t afford food. According to the report, “reducing losses by 15% could feed more than 25 million Americans every year.”
So the real cost of that hamburger you just thrown out is not just the price you paid for it, it has to account for the cost of the damage done to the environment as well as the future, and that’s not cheap.
For the complete article posted on the CNN website on August 22nd, click here.
