Diving Into Food Waste
Just some of the food that we found in the bin at a local supermarket.
There is a lot of focus on improving efficiencies and adopting new cultivation methods to feed a growing population but addressing the food waste problem is also a critical piece of the puzzle in sustainably feeding the world. The world already produces enough food- it just isn’t ending up in the right place.
About 1/3 of food produced globally for human consumption gets wasted.
Fruits and vegetables, plus roots and tubers have the highest waste rates of food.
In developing countries, 40% of losses occur post-harvest and processing levels, while in industrial countries, more than 40% of losses happen at retail and consumer levels.
I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about how our diets have developed into what they are today. Unless you are a market gardener or have access to farmers markets selling a diverse range of foods, you most likely find yourself “harvesting” your food by pushing a metal shopping cart up and down the aisles of a supermarket. During your “harvest” you are bombarded by ads for different products, told mixed messages on what is healthy and what isn’t, and stare into the confusing “best by” or “sell by” or “best before” label on the products on the shelves. Our industrial food system allows many of us to pursue passions other than farming and gardening, but there are unwanted side effects of the system that we’ve built. One of those, is massive amounts of this processed and prepared foods being wasted every day.
I recently had the chance to go on a dumpster diving mission. I was curious to see firsthand just how much food is wasted and what types of foods are thrown away at your typical supermarket. I will leave out the details of when, where and with whom, as dumpster diving is technically not legal in New Zealand, but I will share the details of the shocking amount of food waste that we found in two bins at a small-town supermarket.
The Dive:
Once the store was closed and the sun had set we headed into the night to see what food was in the bin at a local supermarket. In 25 minutes, with two people in the bin, we easily got over $100 worth of food. It was like an unconventional treasure hunt where I was both excited to find sealed jars of peanut butter and dozens of eggs that were not yet out of date for another week, but also shocked at the amount of waste that is in the bins. I tore open individual plastic trash bags to find loaves of sunflower seed bread in one, and yogurt in the next. Maybe this food wasn’t at its prime anymore, but it was still good. I understand the necessity for strict labeling and best by dates for food safety, but often the food that gets wasted is still perfectly good. In New Zealand, perishable food products such as meats and fish have “use by” dates, but other goods have “best before” labels where the products are still good but may not be at their peak freshness. Even in the bin, we found a lot of food that was just at its “best before” date and would have still had a couple of more weeks of shelf life if sold at a discounted price.
Our Dumpster Dive “Shopping” List:
Eggs
Gluten Free Bread + Sprouted Sunflower Seed Bread
Yogurt
Coconut oil
Laundry detergent
15+ Zucchini
Kinder chocolate bars
Rice milk
Ginger loaves
Canned beans
And more …
I’m not suggesting that we all don old clothes, gloves and headlamps when supermarkets close to do our “shopping.” In many places it is against the law, and more importantly, there should be a better way to divert this food from going to the landfill. How do we get more of the food that I found thrown away in the dumpster in the hands of consumers that are looking for either a cheaper alternative or are food-waste minded?
There are many companies and organizations working on the food waste problem. One organization that I have learned about during my time in New Zealand is a “pay-as-you-feel” dining concept called Everybody Eats. https://everybodyeats.nz/ They serve three course community meals in multiple locations near Auckland, New Zealand. Their mission is “Feeding bellies, not bins.” Almost all, if not all the food that they serve in their restaurant are “leftovers” that would otherwise not be used. In addition to the work that is being done in communities and in the private sector, there are many steps that consumers can take to do their part in reducing waste. Many of these practices are also good for the pocket book as well!
What can you do:
Recognize that produce doesn’t grow perfectly. Your carrots, peppers and potatoes are not always going to be the “right” shape, size and color that you expect. Purchase the “ugly” produce since it is likely that others will not.
Shop smart and realistically. Plan your meals before you go to the grocery store and be aware of the perishables you are purchasing so that you are not ultimately throwing out half of what you buy before you get the chance to eat it.
“Sell-by” and “use-by” dates should be “guidelines.”
Save and actually EAT your leftovers
Keep a list of the food that you throw away. Some recommend putting a dollar amount to it so that you have a complete understanding of the amount of food (and money) that is being wasted.
If you have to throw something away, compost it!
Another picture of the food that we found in the bin.