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Do your part to save our planet
Reduce your carbon footprint through composting
38%
Of all food in America is wasted
3.3 Billion
Tons of CO2 equivalent greenhouse gasses are emitted by our food waste
21%
Of waste in a trash bag is compostable
But how does food waste impact greenhouse gas?
There is a direct connection between food waste and greenhouse gas emissions:
Emitting Methane Gas
When food waste decomposes, it emits methane, which is a greenhouse gas 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide (US EPA). According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, "An estimated 58 percent of the fugitive methane emissions (i.e., those released to the atmosphere) from MSW landfills are from landfilled food waste." Globally, 8% of greenhouse gas emissions are from food waste (Washington Post).
Wasting Resources
When you waste food, you are wasting not only the food, but also the resources like the water and energy used to grow and transport the food. The USDA Economic Research Service has stated that 10% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions are produced by farming and agriculture activities. so it is important that we make the most out of the food that is produced. According to reFED, more than a third of all food in the US isn't eaten, which means around 4 trillion tons of water are being wasted.
How can you help?
Limit your food waste
The best way to eliminate food is to stop the problem from the root cause: try not to waste food! This can be done in many ways, like sticking to a list when shopping so you don't buy food you won't eat, using leftovers before cooking new food, and buying in portions you know you will finish. If you have food you know you won't eat, see if it can be donated to a local soup kitchen or food pantry. You can also visit my recipes page for ways to incorporate foods into meals before they go bad.
Compost any food that is wasted
It is inevitable that food will be wasted, whether you forgot about a carrot in the bottom of your crisper, or you made banana bread and are left with the banana peels. In order to keep our carbon footprint low and out nutrients back into the soil, we need to compost these scraps and waste. This page has more info on how to compost in Loudoun.
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