We’re taught the value of not wasting food when we’re young. We’ve been taught that the food on our plates must be consumed in its whole, and that portion size is essential to preventing food waste. The world continues to see enormous amounts of food wasted even though we have been taught these skills from a young age
According to The Hindu Business Line, a whopping 67 million tonnes of food is wasted in India every year, enough to feed the whole state of Bihar. Over-serving oneself or leftovers from massive servings of food supplied in restaurants and fast-food outlets contribute to a large percentage of this waste.
An alarming quantity of food is thrown away each year in our nation and throughout the world, while millions of people are still going hungry every day. Considering the scope of the food waste problem, it’s essential to understand how it happens.
What Is the Cause for Food Waste?
Many methods exist for food to be wasted. While food waste occurs during production and consumption in developed countries, some research suggests that it occurs mainly in developing nations such as India. To better understand why food is wasted, let’s explore the following:
- Weddings, Festivals, and Other Occasions
It’s no surprise that much food is thrown out during weddings, festivals, and other social events. It’s not uncommon for people to over-serve themselves and then find themselves unable to complete their meals. Similar to how food is thrown out instead of being donated to those in need while planning an event, extra food is often bought to guarantee that everyone in attendance is served.
- Hotels, Inns, and Food Courts
There is often an excess of food at restaurants, and guests sometimes find themselves unable to complete their meals because of their servings. Restaurants, hotels, and other food premises lose a lot of food because of these issues.
- Food Waste During the Production Process
Along with personal and commercial food loss, a considerable amount of food is wasted during production. Crops that would generally fit human consumption may well be ruined or wasted due to malfunctioning machinery during harvesting. It is also more cost-effective to let machinery run through a complete batch of food thrown away rather than stop the machinery and fix it amid a production line.
What Are the Implications of Massive Food Waste?
- Landfills
There are landfills where vast volumes of waste are deposited before being treated, creating landfills. Landfills take up a substantial area in big Indian cities like Mumbai because of the high percentage of trash produced by the city’s residents. Around 70 percent of Mumbai’s 9400 metric tonnes of garbage is food waste, according to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
- Global Warming and Methane Gas
Considering that most solid waste is derived from food thrown away, landfills are also a source of methane. Methane is a greenhouse gas naturally created by the decomposition of vegetable waste.
- Vermin that Spread Disease
People who live near food waste dumps are at risk of contracting a wide range of diseases because of rats and other pests.
- Pollution of the groundwater
When piles of solid waste decompose, a discharge is frequently the result. This leachate, which can seep into the ground and contaminate the local water supply, is a pollutant.
What Can We Do to Reduce Food Waste?
When it comes to reducing the impact of food waste, cutting back on our consumption must be our top priority. We must, for example, only buy what we know we can eat before it expires when we go grocery shopping. Additionally, any leftover food must be given to those in need. Food waste composter is another option to cut down on food waste. Various products can be used in home and commercial kitchens to crush food waste from vegetables, meat, and poultry, which can be utilized in an organic waste composter machine.
As an example, we have a variety of food waste disposal systems for both residential and commercial use. Wet waste can be turned into a compostable sludge by using a compost maker machine like the FCD or the 720R, rather than dumping it into landfills. Our food waste can be significantly reduced by following the practices mentioned above.
