Kansas Green Guide Your Bi-Weekly Guide to Sustainable Living

Food Waste Reduction

November 29, 2012

Americans throw away up to 40 percent of their food, an average of 20 pounds per person a month. (Source: EPA) Much of this wasted food is actually surplus, wholesome and edible food that could have helped people facing the challenges of poverty and hunger. Businesses who wish to donate food were aided by the passage in 1996 of the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Act which creates a federal-level protection from liability for people and non-profits who donate food in good faith. Find a local food bank here. On November 15, America Recycles Day, EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson highlighted the nationwide efforts to reduce food waste. All of us can help reduce food waste by limiting food purchases to what we are able to eat, and by using what we have before buying more. see the America Recycles Day Presidential Proclamation. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that a typical American throws out 40 percent of fresh fish, 23 percent of eggs, and 20 percent of milk. Fruits, onions, and greens are commonly wasted produce items. Getting food to our tables eats up 10 percent of the U.S. energy budget, uses 50 percent of U.S. land, and consumes 80 percent of fresh water in the United States. (Source: Natural Resources Defense Council) According to a recent waste characterization study in Kansas, food waste comprises about 18 percent of all waste that is land filled. In households, fresh products make up most of the wasted food. About two-thirds of household food waste is due to food spoilage from not being used in time. Here are some mobile phone apps that will help you manage your refrigerator or freezer: MINI Fridge Freezer Organizer Pro In the food waste management hierarchy, source reduction is the most favorable option, followed by donation and use as animal feed. Buying local, freezing or preserving produce, and composting food scraps are good waste reduction strategies. Managing food scraps through composting at home is easy - just place a closed container under the sink and empty it to a compost bin when needed. In a commercial kitchen, have kitchen staff use common sense to separate scraps during food preparation and store them in the cooler, below edible food, or in a closed no leak trash container for bi-weekly collection by a compost hauler. For food safety guidelines, consult the Kansas Dept. of Agriculture. Food packaging is another large component of our waste stream. You can reduce waste by buying items in easily recyclable containers, such as glass or compostable materials like wax paper and cardboard. Many types of containers are re-useable, but be mindful that not all plastics are safe when re-used. Two suspects are under active investigation: bisphenol A and a class of chemicals called phthalates. For more reading on this topic, visit Web MD or the National Institutes of Health. Also avoid purchasing plastics #3-#7 if you local recycler does not take these materials. On the leading edge, many communities are looking at anaerobic digestion as a way to use organic waste to produce energy.
More information on reducing food waste: http://www.epa.gov/recycle/reduce_fd_wste.html Grocers, venues, and universities may benefit from these webinars or by joining in the EPA's Food Recovery Challenge.

Dissemination of [Kansas Green Guide/Other publications] by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, a governmental agency, is solely for the non-commercial purpose of informing and educating the public. References to specific companies do not constitute a KDHE endorsement. If you have any questions, please contact the Bureau of Waste Management, at info@kansasgreenteams.org.
Green Guide November 29, 2012