May’s Action Item Is . . .
Throw Away Less Food!
In the United States, consumers and businesses waste 92 billion pounds of food annually, equal to 145 billion meals, with a value of over $473 billion dollars (this represents 38% of the country’s annual food supply). If you live in a different country, look up your own food waste figures, chances are that they’ll be shocking too!
Food waste is a major contributor to climate change. It’s responsible for 8% of all global carbon emissions, making up most items in our landfills. Growing food requires lots of water, fuel, and fertilizer, all of which are wasted when food is not consumed.
By preventing food waste and rescuing food at risk of being discarded, we can lessen our environmental impact and ensure that resources are used to nourish communities.
The amount of greenhouse gases this causes puts a massive strain on the environment. That’s why it’s so important to minimise what we discard. A simple way to reduce food waste is to ensure your fruits and vegetables are stored properly. This will help them stay fresh longer, providing a larger window for you to consume them.
Even if there is some food you need to throw away, composting allows it to decompose naturally, without harming the environment (we’ll discuss composting in more detail next month).
