Food waste at home

We can also not ignore the huge impact of animal agriculture on ecology. 51% of all greenhouse gas emissions are caused by meat production. To produce 1 kg of protein from kidney beans required approximately 18 times less land, 10 times less water, 9 times less fuel, 12 times less fertilizer and 10 times less pesticide in comparison to producing 1 kg of protein from beef. This all ties in to global warming, a topic which is closely connected to the importance of a Zero Waste lifestyle. Therefore, looking at Zero Waste and veganism as lifestyles, there are a lot of similarities, as the basic idea behind both revolves around improving our environment. Animal agriculture requires plenty of resources, which are rapidly running out. Consequently, a plant-based diet is far more sustainable and eco-friendly. The concept of Zero Waste is incomplete without veganism. Research says that our planet will be irreversibly damaged within 12 years, and that is why we must act now. 7

Anna Tsukanova, Anna Ćaleta

We live in a world where we don’t need to go hunting or gathering. Sometimes it might seem that our food appears on our plates by magic. But it isn’t so. We spend resources such as water, land, time and money in order to grow our

7 Resources: Humans raise a lot of animals for food: www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QA That’s 26% of earth's total land area: www.science.sciencemag.org/content/360/6392/987 Livestock accounts for 27% of global freshwater consumption: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22331890 Only a fraction of the nutrients from fodder end up in the meat: www.iopscience.iop.org/ article/10.1088/1748-9326/11/10/105002 1 kg of steak needs up to 25 kgof grain and 15 000 l of water: www.waterfootprint.org/media/downloads/Report48-WaterFootprint-AnimalProducts-Vol1_1.pdf Meat just makes up 18% of the calories humans eat: www.science.sciencemag.org/content/360/6392/987 We could nourish an additional 3.5 billion people: www.iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/8/3/034015 How many people are hungry in the world: www.worldhunger.org/hunger-quiz/how-many-people-are-hungry-inthe-world/ 51% of all greenhouse gas emissions are created by the meat industry: www.independent.co.uk/environment/ climate-change/study-claims-meat-creates-half-of-all-greenhouse-gases-1812909.html Production of beans and beef: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25374332 12 years until the climate changes: www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/oct/08/global-warming-must-notexceed-15c-warns-landmark-un-report

food, feed our livestock and produce the goods that we see on the shelves of supermarkets. Have you noticed how much food you throw away because you made too much, or because it was left to go bad in your refrigerator? The following tips will not only help you to throw out less and save money, but also contribute to healthier eating habits.

1. Self-reflection and planning

First of all, get to know yourself and your preferences. Sometimes we buy food that we don’t even like very much, just because we are in the habit of buying it, and then we throw it away when we realize that we don’t actually want to eat it. A more useful method would be to plan your menu ahead – and to create a shopping list and follow it. This could even help you to reduce your cravings for sugar or junk food, and stop you from eating too much, and will save you from buying useless items that might break your budget.

2. Buy in bulk

Buy in bulk and plan the exact amount of what you need. That way you won’t end up throwing away mouldy cheese (when you remember for sure that you didn’t buy brie!).

3. Buy local and seasonal

It’s much better to buy local seasonal products. They are usually cheaper, they don’t have so many preservatives and they have made a shorter journey from the field to your plate, so your carbon footprint is smaller. Also by doing this, you are supporting your local farming community. An added side-effect is that you will automatically buy fewer processed foods, which contain a lot of sugar and ingredients that you should be trying to avoid.

4. Be aware of the false friend: the expiration date

A lot of supermarkets offer discounts (from 30 to up to 70% off) on products that are going to expire soon. In most cases, these products are not damaged – but the day that the manufacturer has given as the expiration date is approaching, so supermarkets have to try and sell them as soon as possible.

The companies whose products are on the shelves of stores try to protect themselves from incidents with buyers using these dates. “Best by” or “best before” dates on food packaging mean that the product is guaranteed to have the best quality and flavour before that date, but after the date, the food is perfectly safe to eat. You can find expiration dates on snacks, juices, etc. “Use by” or “use before” only marks the last date recommended for the use of the product, and may be found on products that tend to spoil fast (e.g. milk and meat products).

5. Supermarket alternatives: dumpster diving and foodsharing

Despite such discounts on expiring food, some supermarkets have leftovers that they can’t sell, so they throw away good food that can be still consumed fresh or cooked. They put all of this in big bins outside. Some people go “dumpster diving” in these bins. It might sound crazy or stupid to you at first, but it can be a lot of fun. You just arrive in the evening after the supermarket is closed, and take a look inside the bin. You might find fresh fruit to make jam, or tomatoes for sauces. A lot of people in the world can’t afford fresh food, and many are starving, while we throw away the food these people need. There are initiatives based on this where people cook tasty meals from what they’ve found in dumpsters and give these to the poor or homeless. This method can help save your budget, reduce the amount of waste we throw away and even help you to help others. (Link on dumpster diving map). But there are also slightly more legal alternatives such as food-sharing initiatives, where supermarkets give away food that would otherwise be dumped on a regular basis. They generally don’t want this to be known, so it happens semi-anonymously, with the people who collect the food having to keep quiet about its source. Check out whether your city already has such an initiative that you can join. You can save a lot of money while performing a service to society and the environment!