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Jul 7, 2008 3:28pm
On May 18th, New York Times published an article on the food wasted by the so called “Civilized” countries: The problem isn’t unique to the United States. In England, a recent study revealed that Britons toss away a third of the food they purchase, including more than four million whole apples, 1.2 million sausages and 2.8 million tomatoes. In Sweden, families with small children threw out about a quarter of the food they bought, a recent study there found. In the news today, Britain’s Prime Minister Gordon Brown is condemning this societal reality and vows to change it. Unconscious of the value of food, in general, between 15% and 40% of the food we buy is thrown out. In numbers, well depending from the sources, America alone is throwing 44 million tons, and Britain 7 million tons.  Blogs like Wasted Food have been following the problem and reporting on it. From its creator Jonathan Bloom: Fusing my journalistic research on the topic with the work of countless others, this site examines how we squander so much food. Part blog, part call to action, Wasted Food aims to shed light on the problem of, you guessed it, wasted food. I’ve been researching this topic since 2005, when two experiences made me aware of just how much food is wasted. Volunteering at D.C. Central Kitchen, a homeless shelter that rescues unused food from restaurants and supermarkets illuminated the excess in those areas. Gleaning, or gathering crops that would otherwise be left in the field and distributing them to the hungry, illustrated the agricultural abundance that is often plowed under. Most of the food wasted is compost-able: Food scraps, yard trimmings and brown waste (anything made out of paper) make up 40-50% of the average household garbage. There is more food and paper in landfills than diapers, styrofoam, and tires — combined. According to the US EPA, food waste is the #1 least recycled material. The benefits of composting are known and obvious. Cities need to facilitate and fund these programs which will benefits everyone. Start at home, find your local Farmers Market or local compost service to find more. 

On May 18th, New York Times published an article on the food wasted by the so called “Civilized” countries:

The problem isn’t unique to the United States. In England, a recent study revealed that Britons toss away a third of the food they purchase, including more than four million whole apples, 1.2 million sausages and 2.8 million tomatoes. In Sweden, families with small children threw out about a quarter of the food they bought, a recent study there found.

In the news today, Britain’s Prime Minister Gordon Brown is condemning this societal reality and vows to change it. Unconscious of the value of food, in general, between 15% and 40% of the food we buy is thrown out. In numbers, well depending from the sources, America alone is throwing 44 million tons, and Britain 7 million tons. 

Blogs like Wasted Food have been following the problem and reporting on it. From its creator Jonathan Bloom:

Fusing my journalistic research on the topic with the work of countless others, this site examines how we squander so much food. Part blog, part call to action, Wasted Food aims to shed light on the problem of, you guessed it, wasted food.
I’ve been researching this topic since 2005, when two experiences made me aware of just how much food is wasted. Volunteering at D.C. Central Kitchen, a homeless shelter that rescues unused food from restaurants and supermarkets illuminated the excess in those areas. Gleaning, or gathering crops that would otherwise be left in the field and distributing them to the hungry, illustrated the agricultural abundance that is often plowed under.

Most of the food wasted is compost-able:

Food scraps, yard trimmings and brown waste (anything made out of paper) make up 40-50% of the average household garbage. There is more food and paper in landfills than diapers, styrofoam, and tires — combined. According to the US EPA, food waste is the #1 least recycled material.

The benefits of composting are known and obvious. Cities need to facilitate and fund these programs which will benefits everyone. Start at home, find your local Farmers Market or local compost service to find more. 
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