Food waste is a serious problem in North America, from farming and manufacturing practices to the way we prepare our food for the table.
Eating healthier for our bodies, more sustainably for the planet, and more affordably for our budgets, dinner is always a balancing act. In our quest to choose the right foods, we can sometimes overlook another important factor in our shopping choices—food waste. Food waste can happen due to visual imperfections, poor storage and transportation, and more, resulting in using only part of a food product. If we wish to choose better food for our daily meals, we must also consider how that food is most sustainably used, not simply how it’s grown.
FOOD WASTE 101
Recycle Track Systems, better known as RTS, tracks and documents the food waste cycle. According to RTS, the world wastes about 2.5 billion tons of food annually, with the United States accounting for 120 billion pounds annually. In addition to these staggering numbers, “food is the single largest component taking up space inside US landfills, making up 22 percent of municipal solid waste (MSW).” The cost of that waste adds up to $218 billion per year.
This problem is monumental, requiring more than the simple admonishment to “waste less.” To reduce food waste, we need to begin on multiple fronts. At home, aim to be more efficient by using older food first, planning your meals, and reusing items to avoid throwing food in the trash. Industries can look at ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle when it comes to food, developing methods that improve efficiency and maximize profitability. Problems of this scale must begin with many people making a difference every day.
USE IT ALL
Perhaps the simplest way to avoid food waste is not to toss out edible food parts; some food brands have launched campaigns to do just that. This whole food approach can turn lesser-used food into an asset. By simply leaving the peel on fruit and not tossing it into the trash, food waste can be greatly reduced. Beyond that, there are many lauded benefits to eating fruit peels or rinds including vitamins and additional fibre.
Using the entire food isn’t just limited to vegetarian options. The poultry industry has experienced a re-envisioning where chicken skin is turned into more appealing foods like crisps, “bread” crumbs, and more. So, when markets sell boneless, skinless chicken breast, the removed skin can be cleverly used instead of discarded. This choice for chicken skin is also taking off across the restaurant industry.
INNOVATIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
Sometimes food waste can seem unavoidable, especially waste created during manufacturing. In the case of cheese, creating one of society’s favourite dairy foods breaks down milk into curds and whey. The whey is then made into things like protein powder at larger facilities. This processing of whey into powder only works at a large scale, leaving many smaller farms and dairies with leftover, unusable, whey—until recently.
Researchers at the Oregon State University have found a new use for this waste byproduct. The whey is mixed with yeast and fermented, then processed in a separate still to create vodka, even when created in smaller batches. It would seem this method of alcohol creation is starting to catch on within the marketplace.
SOURCED FROM DIFFERENT INGREDIENTS
Some food products cause more waste than others. This additional waste can occur with farming and manufacturing through the growing of foods to be a perfect size and dimension and discarding the rest.
Today’s food manufacturers are looking at different types of produce and raw ingredients to reduce waste. Yellow peas, an environmentally friendly food crop, play a critical role in mitigating climate change and supporting sustainable agriculture.
Beyond the benefits of the yellow pea itself is the plant’s ability to act as a cover crop across multiple horticultural zones in North America, as studied by ATTRA Sustainable Agriculture. Cover crops can ultimately help grow better produce and reduce wasted materials, among a myriad of other benefits. Better produce typically means less wasted produce due to healthier and larger crop yields. This process isn’t foolproof of course, but that shouldn’t take away from the yellow pea’s promise.
TAKEAWAYS
Food waste can be . . .
- minimized with smart consumption. Eating the entire food helps reduce discarded pieces, minimizing the items that might otherwise go into the trash.
- redirected to make secondary products on both small and large scales. This redirection not only minimizes waste but also helps create something delicious and enjoyable as a result.
- minimized by opening our food consumption habits to lesser-known, highly nutritious and sustainably focused plants.
