10 years ago the United States set a goal to reduce food waste by 50% by reducing the amount of food waste that ends up in landfills, resulting in emitting greenhouse gases, which is a big factor in climate change. In 2022, it was proven that no state would be on track to reach this goal unless work got done at the federal level. Researchers have proven that even when we are trying to reduce waste, each person still wastes 328 pounds each year which is the same amount as in 2016. Another study found that due to the lack of federal policy on food waste, the low numbers are not surprising. National leadership is necessary for food waste to really be reduced.
Composting can be a great way to jumpstart a reduction in food waste. It turns food waste into a “nutrient-rich mixture” that is used to fertilize plants. the best way to reduce food waste is to prevent it by adding accurate date labels to products so that people don’t get scared when a food is supposedly supposed to go bad and throwing it out before then when in reality, the product is actually good for another few days/weeks. People could also donate their unused foods to food banks or homeless shelters or companies that repurpose food.
