Category Archives: Energy

UNusual Week

I just spent three days at the Rome headquarters of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, where I met people from all corners of the globe and talked trash (or food waste) with them. I was at FAO to collaborate with researchers in an ongoing project to create a global food waste footprint. As you might […]

March 23, 2012 | Also posted in Environment, Personal | Comments closed

Food Waste Reduction Is So Hot Right Now!

Wondering what you should be keeping your eye on this year? Well, marketing communications firm JWT has you covered with their 100 Things to Watch in 2012. Why am I telling you this? Why, because “Curbing Food Waste” made that list. See for yourself in their neat slide show (done in alphabetical order–see #16). Also encouraging–“Fuel from Waste” […]

February 20, 2012 | Also posted in Environment | Comments closed

Friday Buffet

Whenever a publication as august as The Financial Times weighs in on dumpster diving, I always link to it (and try to match the paper’s salmon color). — — Donating prepared foods can be harder than you think, but it’s important! As is reducing the overall excess at holiday or other gatherings. — — If […]

December 9, 2011 | Also posted in Casino, Friday Buffet | Comments closed

(British) Progress!

While the US grocery industry is slowly turning to the topic of food waste–huzzah!–their British counterparts are already a year into a voluntary agreement to trim waste. More than 50 UK grocery retailers have signed on to The Courtauld Commitment Phase 2, which sets many waste reduction goals. Food is one of them. Interestingly, the food […]

December 7, 2011 | Also posted in Environment, Household, International | Comments closed

Friday Buffet

If your pumpkin wasn’t smashed Regardless of whether your pumpkin was smashed or is whole, you can compost it. If you live in San Francisco, you can convert it to energy. Me? I’ll be roasting and eating mine… — — British supermarket chain Sainsbury’s is now sending all of its food waste to anaerobic digesters […]

November 4, 2011 | Also posted in Friday Buffet, International | Comments closed

Gulf Coast Sustainable Food Plan Addresses Waste

In the wake of recent disasters, the Mississippi Gulf Coast communities came together to create a plan for sustainability. One aspect of the plan centers on food and one particular document provides a Recipe for a Sustainable Coast. That study, much to my delight, lists the amount of wasted food as a major obstacle to […]

October 19, 2011 | Also posted in Composting, Environment, Waste Stream | Comments closed

Friday Buffet

Hot off the press: New data on retail and home produce waste from our friends at the USDA’s Economic Research Service. I’ll break this down further in a future post, but in the meantime, take a gander. — — Exciting News: The NY Times Online reports that The Grocery Manufacturers Association is planning a three-year initiative to […]

September 16, 2011 | Also posted in Composting, Friday Buffet, Household, Personal, Supermarket | Comments closed

Friday Buffet

In a town near Vancouver, curbside compost collection is attracting bears, which, sadly, usually doesn’t end well for bears. Mixing newspaper in with the compost or keeping food scraps in the freezer before collection are two suggested solutions… — — The Stop Food Waste campaign run by the Irish EPA found that 30% of what Irish […]

August 26, 2011 | Also posted in Composting, International | Comments closed

Why Waste Matters: Water

One of the real problems with wasting food is that we also squander the embedded resources. Mainly, oil and water (and I have found a way to mix the two here). While I usually focus on oil, water is increasingly coming to the fore. To wit, this fascinating Dutch study that tallies foods’ water footprint. In […]

June 8, 2011 | Also posted in Environment, International | Comments closed

Challenge Your Group

Yesterday, I participated in my first webinar. Once you get past the oddness of talking into a void with no audio or video feedback, it’s a neat way to reach a wide audience. The event featured two other speakers, both EPA employees who work on food waste reduction. One of them brought up the EPA’s […]

May 4, 2011 | Also posted in Environment, Institutional | Comments closed