In 2009, a prep chef at MoMo restaurant in San Francisco put apple peels in a food scrap recycling bin. Composting, a process that converts organic material into nutrient-rich soil, can help reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfills.
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Photos Justin Sullivan/Getty
In 2009, a cook at MoMo restaurant in San Francisco put apple peels in a food scrap recycling bin. Composting, a process that converts organic material into nutrient-rich soil, can help reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfills.
Photos Justin Sullivan/Getty
Environmentalists urge people to think twice about how much food they make and how to dispose of leftovers this Thanksgiving.
New York City, supposedly of the world most wasteful cityLast year, 5% more waste was generated in the week after Thanksgiving than in a typical week city sanitation department.
By composting leftovers, one progress Environmentalists say, converting organic materials into nutrient-rich soil can help reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfills.
Andrew Wheeler, then administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, said: “More than 70 billion pounds of food waste ends up in our landfills each year, contributing to methane emissions and waste. energy and resource costs in the food supply chain”. statement the day before Thanksgiving 2020. “This holiday season, we must all do our part to help people and the environment by preparing only what we need, cutting down on food waste, and sharing or donating Do what you can to feed others.”
Some American cities have set up make curbside compost Allow residents to drop food waste in a labeled bin for pickup. People who do not live in neighborhoods with this service can bring their leftovers to a composting site or community garden.
The New York City Department of Sanitation is conducting a test program of the composting “smart trash” for easy disposal of leftovers. People can open these bins, scattered throughout Lower Manhattan, through an app and drop off organic waste, which will then be delivered to local and regional composting facilities.
Experts also Advise Americans freeze leftovers to eat later, donate excess non-perishable food to local charities, and consider producing less food.
Food composting has increased slightly over the past decade but has not yet become a popular way to manage food waste. Between 2010 and 2018, the United States saw a up 23% in the amount of municipal solid waste being composted. But only 4.1% Food waste and other organic solid waste was composted in 2018.
Dish contribute more landfills than any other material, accounting for 24% of the city’s solid waste. The landfill belongs to the nation largest source of methane gasa greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming and is released when organic waste such as food decomposes.
“Preventing food waste is one of the easiest and most effective actions you can take to save money and reduce the impact of climate change by,” said EPA spokesman Robert Daguillard. ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and conserve natural resources”.
