Its not just transport and packaging that are destroying the natural world, but our waste of food.
An extensive UK study by WRAP analysed garbage of over 2,000 households to identify the food we waste. The results are revealing.
- The sheer volume of food thrown away by all types of people is embarrassing: over £ 10 billion (€ 12 billion) a year or over £ 420 (€ 550) per household per year.
- The detrimental carbon impact is surprising: if we stopped throwing out edible food, the impact it would have on CO2 emissions would be the equivalent of taking 1 in 5 cars off the road.
These results are a fair base indicator for all western societies. US and Japan food waste is much higher (up to 50% according to some reports).
It would be better to buy less and consume what you buy. And if not consumed, recycle it through compost for your garden, vegetable patch or window box.
See:
The WRAP report The Food We Waste here including Executive Summary
BBC review of WRAP report here
IDG report on household food waste.
A CNN article which takes a holistic look at the causes and effects of global food waste.
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