Category Archives: Environment

Bay State Bombshell

In case you missed the big news, Massachusetts is set to ban commercial food waste from landfills by 2014. I included it in Friday’s post, but it deserves its own space. The new regulations would herald a major change–a few cities have similar rules on the books, but no state does. The ruling would prompt […]

May 7, 2012 | Also posted in Composting, Energy, Restaurant, Waste Stream | Comments closed

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 Energy, 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 Energy | Comments closed

Monday Leftovers

On the heels of Friday’s major outcry against waste by the EU Parliament, the head of the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization spoke out against food waste this weekend. In other words, this issue is picking up steam. — — How did I not know there was a Discard Studies blog before now? A recent […]

January 23, 2012 | Also posted in Composting, Food Safety, Stats, Waste Stream | 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 Energy, Household, International | Comments closed

Friday Buffet

Looks like in.gredients, the Austin-based zero-waste store is set to open by the end of the year. The bulk food vender will mostly sell to customers wielding their own containers, but compostable packaging will be for sale, too. I’m excited to see this operation in action! — — Statistics New Zealand just released some interesting…statistics […]

November 18, 2011 | Also posted in Composting, Friday Buffet, International, Supermarket, Waste Stream | Comments closed

Monday Leftovers

Finally! Someone quantified just how much greener it is to reduce food waste than to compost it. The Stockholm Environmental Institute found that avoiding waste has 30 times the benefit of composting, when it comes to cutting greenhouse gas emissions. — — If you want to see some beautiful pictures of volunteers gleaning broccoli and cabbage, […]

November 7, 2011 | Also posted in Food Recovery, Stats | 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, Energy, Waste Stream | Comments closed

Food Waste’s Emissions Impact

1.5 percent. That’s the percentage of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions stemming from wasted food, according to CleanMetrics. It’s not a massive figure, but consider this: The average person’s food waste contributes almost 5 percent of the emissions of the typical car. And 1.5 percent is a conservative estimate, as it doesn’t include restaurant waste. So […]

October 10, 2011 | Also posted in Stats | Comments closed

Crowded Agenda

Happy World Population Day! Later this year, we’ll hit 7 million people. That’s why one of the 7 billion actions should be getting more efficient with our food. In other words, to waste less. Just something to think about the next time you find an article about changing agriculture to feed the growing planet that […]

July 11, 2011 | Also posted in Farm, Personal | Comments closed