Today, most people do not understand the havoc that food waste wreaks on our planet. Increasing home-focused environmental education should be a priority for every school, council and college. The simple uploading of guidelines onto waste management apps would be highly effective!
But how does food waste cause such damage to our struggling environment?
The Problem Of Sending Your Food Waste To Landfill
Even in today’s “eco-focused” times, over 20% of waste loads arriving at council landfills constitute food waste!
The challenge for urban homeowners and the hospitality industry is that they don’t always have access to sufficient information and services from councils and governments. Solutions and access to information need to be simple as people are busy, have transport or mobility challenges or don’t know the danger of food waste in the landfill.
Landfill food waste produces huge quantities of methane gas which is 10,000% more deadly for the environment than CO2 and globally contributes over 30% of the world’s methane emissions.
How To Reduce Food Waste In Landfills
The first step of environmental protection is always to reduce. To reduce food waste at home, plan meals more carefully, shop more prudently and don’t leave ingredients to rot in your fridge. Cook and freeze meals if your week’s meal plan has been disrupted.
There will be necessary peels, scraps and offcuts, which can be:
- Planted and regrown (a lesser known fact). A carrot top, for example, can be planted to obtain seeds (after flowers) and you then have a huge source of new carrots.
- Boiled into a healthy stock to add to soups, stews and pie fillings.
Arguably, the easiest solution is to start your own compost bin, of which there are many alternatives.
Vermicomposting - This is a self-sufficient composting method inhabited by red wriggler worms. It’s compact, easy to start and sustain and produces worm juice for the rest of your garden.
Compost heap - For those with a spacious garden, start a compost heap or compost bin. There are also compost tumblers available. Add garden cuttings and sawdust to speed up the composting process.
Green cone composting - Meat or fish can be processed using the super simple Green Cone method, which has a basket below in the soil. The meat and/or vegetables break down and feed the surrounding soil with nutrients.
Electronic and computerised indoor composter - Of course, it’s 2022, so there are electric and digital composting solutions as well! No excuses now; there’s a solution for everyone.
Council solutions - An ideal solution for urban settings is Council food waste collections and processing. A composting hub can process food and garden waste simultaneously and sell the nutrient-rich plant food back to the community.
Conclusion
On the home front, less food in your waste means less smell from your bin and an easier bin cleaning process. You will help slow down the heating up of the earth and save the planet for your grandchildren and their grandchildren. Now that’s a worthy cause!
Want to make an impact starting today? Provide eco-friendly education with your custom, easy-to-edit waste management apps. Contact us to book a free demonstration.
Related Tags: Digital Waste Vouchers
