There’s no question that food waste is a real problem. Here in America, we produce more than 60 million tons of food waste every single year. But you don’t need to see the statistics to recognize that this is an issue; chances are, you’re well aware of some of the wasteful habits in your own life. We get it: We all struggle with the very same behaviors.
What you might not realize is just how much food waste endangers the planet. The environmental effects go beyond overflowing landfills; there are countless other ramifications, all of which underscore the severity of the organic waste problem.
We’re going to share just a few of the dangers of food waste, not to shame or demoralize anyone but simply to arrive at an understanding of just how massive this problem is.
1) Food waste = water waste.
Water is essential to life, and it’s essential to food production. When we waste food, we’re also wasting untold quantities of water, used for things like irrigation, feeding animals, and more. To put this issue into perspective, consider that about 70 percent of the world’s water use is in agriculture… and around a quarter of that water ultimately goes to waste.
2) Food waste means methane production.
Food waste ends up in a landfill, where it eventually begins to rot and to excrete methane gas. And methane gas is one of the leading culprits in climate change. If we wasted less food then we’d have less methane in the atmosphere… and that would benefit the environment in more ways than one.
3) Food waste is linked with oil waste.
Fossil fuels, including oil and diesel, are essential for producing and transporting food. So, when we waste food, we’re also wasting a lot of non-renewable energy sources.
4) Wasting food means wasting land.
There’s a lot of land required to produce food, including the land used to grow crops, to raise livestock, and to retain the food that’s discarded. Needless to say, the more food we waste, the more we squander valuable physical space.
5) Food waste can also harm biodiversity.
There are countless ways in which food waste affects biodiversity. Creating more land to grow food (and to store waste) means deforesting. It means clearing more land to be used as pasture space, which can destroy the habitats of native creatures. And that’s to say nothing of the marine life that’s destroyed due to irresponsible commercial fishing.
The bottom line: Food waste is a problem with widespread implications. The good news is that we can all play a part in curbing this problem, not least by ensuring the right trash and recycling management options in our communities and our workplaces. We’d love to tell you more. Reach out to WasteXperts at your convenience.
