Zero Waste III - Waste of food
In Germany alone, 19 tons of food are lost every minute(!) - from fields to household waste - by the time you finish reading this text, 57 tons alone have already been added.
Every year in Germany alone, almost 12 million tons of food worth around 20 billion euros are thrown away - that's about a third of the food produced in total. Around the world, food that is produced but never consumed requires an area the size of China to grow. At the same time, this means an additional 3.3 gigatons of CO2 equivalents worldwide for this free food alone (which corresponds to half of the annual CO2 balance in the USA) or 22 million t of CO2 equivalents in Germany, which we could save to a large extent. *
Although it is less often mentioned in connection with climate change, reducing food waste is one of the most important measures against global warming: According to Paul Hawken**, a good 70 gigatonnes of CO2 equivalents could be saved by 2050 if food waste was reduced 50% would be reduced and plant-rich food is becoming more and more widespread.
Food waste occurs at all stages of production:
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Countless fruits and vegetables are already left lying around in the field/plantation because they do not meet the quality requirements of the customers.
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The path from the field to the customer is often long and has many stations - as a result, many foods go bad before they even reach the customer.
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Large packs usually mean that a whole net or similar ends up in the garbage as soon as a piece in it spoils.
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For processed food, often only a part of the original product is used - whether in a factory or at home: for example, the broccoli stalk (peeled) is also delicious, but as a rule it ends up unnecessarily in the garbage like many other vegetable or fruit parts.
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Last but not least, some things end up in the bin at the end consumer because too much was cooked, the best before date has expired, ... .
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A large part of the food waste, which is often ignored, also accounts for the diet: to "produce" 1kg of meat, up to 15kg of grain (or soy) are required.
Not only plants are "produced" for free:
Source: Eat what?! Animals, Meat and Me (Heinrich Böll Foundation, 2021)
Do you want to get active yourself?
Read the following tips on how we can do our part to reduce food waste. Find more detailed information on the topic linked below & find inspirational leftover recipes. Chat with other members inForum off under "leftover kitchen". Become a food sharer - imswap forumor aboutFoodsharing.de.
What to do?
What ends up in the garbage at home is in our hands - very tasty meals can often be conjured up from leftovers, the green of kohlrabi and co can be put in the pot/salad or smoothie and the stem of the broccoli tastes good good as well :).
products whoseMinimumexpiry date (MHD) has expired do not automatically belong in the trash. The BBD is just a guideline - maybe the jam isn't that bright red anymore, or a spice needs to be dosed higher because it has lost its intensity. as a rule, the appearance, smell and taste can be changed after exceeding. However, contrary to the "use by" label, the product is still edible. Vegetable foods in particular usually have a much longer shelf life than indicated. If in doubt, take a close look at the product, smell it and ultimately try a little. Most of the time it can be enjoyed for a surprisingly long time without any problems - especially if it is heated through anyway.
Anyone who buys from regional farmers avoids long transport routes and the associated losses.
But we also have more control over the other stations than it seems at first glance:
An orange in the net is bad? Ask if you can get the network cheaper so it doesn't end up in the trash. The vegetables or fruit don't look like they were painted? Don't complain, just be happy - here was also offered responsibly, which does not correspond to commercial class I. Sometimes there is even extra fruit or vegetables on offer that have been marked as crooked or flawed - so it's doubly worth grabbing here :).
In theSolavi Hall everything that grows on the field is harvested - here there are crooked or three-legged carrots as well as very small or up to 2 kg heavy beetroot and much more :). You are curious? Maybe there is still a place available for you :). Or ask the producer you trust what happens to vegetables that do not correspond to the official trade classes I or II.
Also atHof Engelhardtall the vegetables end up in the box. Tip: on the 1.yard box plusis there during climate fasting (17.2.-1.4.21)10% discount (keyword "climate fasting") :)
Also oranges, almonds, rice, ... can by the waycrowd farmingcan be purchased directly from the producer (usually in organic quality). Here too, in addition to a fair price for the producers, the aim is to reduce food waste - because the producers are also happy when all the goods they produce are valued!
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The group "Food sharing Schwäbisch Hall" campaigns against food waste on site. You can find out more about her work in the video interview by following the link.
Further information
The app for food savers :) - the more people around Hall use it, the more it brings!
A very informative and beautifully designed site with lots of tips - from shopping planning to correct storage to zero-waste recipes - definitely have a look :).
Here you will find people who have food to sell and people who are happy about this food. The more people participate on site, the more effective it is - it's best to register right away and let's get started :)
Website from the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) with numerous tips against food waste at home - from good planning and sensible storage to delicious leftovers
www.lebensmittelwertschatzen.de
Website of the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture with many inspiring projects from all over Germany - maybe you will even find people through our forum who will help you set up a similar project in Hall and become part of the Hall climate network :)?
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An app that you can use to find cheap meals from various providers in the area. These are meals that were not sold during opening hours but are still edible and are sold at a discount to self-collectors before they end up in the bin.
Zero waste recipes by Sophia Hoffmann
* Numbers: BMEL & Geo
** Paul Hawken (Ed.) - Drawdown the blueprint for how we can reverse global warming:
The book deals with the 100 most effective measures against climate change.
