Chatham Climate Action Network
Food Waste Matters
Facts:
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nearly 40% of potentially consumable food goes uneaten in the US
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41 million people in the US (13.5%) suffer from food insecurity
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According to Project Drawdown, reducing food loss and waste is one of the largest climate solutions across all sectors, not just the food system.
The impact food waste and loss has on global warming stems from:
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the methane produced from food decaying in landfills,
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the resources it takes to grow, transport, cool, and cook food,
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and the conversion of native ecosystems to agricultural land.
Fortunately, it is a solvable problem that offers immediate avenues for greenhouse gas reductions.
To learn more about food waste:
National Efforts:
EPA Sustainable Management of Food
National Resource Defense Council (NRDC)
Project Drawdown - Drawdown Food
States taking the lead:
CalRecycle Mandatory Organic Waste Collection
Massachusetts Department of Environmental Quality Commercial Food Material Disposal Ban
Maryland Department of the Environment Organics Recycling and Waste Diversion
Consumer-focused consciousness raising campaigns:
Use the Food NC (NC DEQ)
Too Good To Waste (EPA Toolkit)
Model efforts on smaller scales:
City of Asheville Food Waste Reduction Initiative
Western NC Food Waste Solutions
International Efforts:
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
International Food Waste Coalition (IFWC)