Food Waste, manuscript
Video: https://vimeo.com/90475129
Niamh:
Food waste is something we all know about. It has become one of the biggest
problems of the world. As one part of the world suffers from the lack of the
food, the other part throws food away. Globally, we throw away 1/3 of all the
food we produce. That’s about 1.3 billion tons a year, and about 200 kg per
person.
Every year Norway throws away over 300 000 tons eatable food.
In the European Union the food waste is 179 kg per person. In Estonia it’s even
more; 265 kg per person.
The Scottish people throw away 556,000 tons of food away every year. This is
£1 billion of food thrown away every year, or £430 per household. It’s 1/5 of
our food and drink that gets thrown away.
What we throw away most?
Throwing away food harms the environment. When it is tossed away, it sits in
landfill. Food needs sunlight and air to break down safely, and when it
doesn’t get any, the microorganisms respire anaerobically and produce gases
like carbon dioxide and methane which contribute to global warming.
Heather:
Reducing food waste is seven times better for the environment than any
recycling option. Sometimes waste can’t be avoided and food recycling services
are being placed around in cities across Scotland.
Recycling our leftovers can generate renewable energy and be turned into a
fertiliser to benefit Scottish farmers.
The British cook too much food per meal, which leads to a lot of leftovers
thrown away. A lot of the problem lies in the supermarkets and stores. They
have sales where you pay for 2 and get 3. This could have a big part in creating
food waste, because then people buy more then they need. Luckily, we are
becoming more and more aware of this problem. Like the Norwegian grocery
store Kiwi has just launched a new commercial where they put this problem in
the spotlight. They call it “buy one, get one” They explain it as you don’t have
to buy more than you need and want. They are highlighting the fact that people
throw away way too much eatable food. We think this is a good example for
other stores, which everyone should follow.
Now we are 7 billion people in the world. By 2050 it’s estimated that we will
reach 9 billion people. To assure that everyone gets enough food, we have to
increase productivity in food production, and reduce our food waste.
We can find multiple signs that predict a decrease in food waste.
Laura:
A study was held where they found evidence that 45% of the British people are
reducing household food waste in order to save money. In another study, they
discovered that nearly half of the people said they freeze food or cook with
leftovers to avoid waste. The survey also found that two out of five said they
are cooking smaller portions, so there is a less chance of meals going in the bin.
But there’s still a lack of awareness about the issue. Most people still don’t
realize or think about their food waste, but we have improved enormously the
last few years. We’ve gotten better at planning our meals and writing lists of
what we actually need.
Lisam
Here we have found some things that people can do to reduce their food
waste at home:
Sometimes it's cheaper to buy something large because you get a lot of it for a
low price, but of course there will be food waste, but you've almost got to
accept that.
In grocery stores they throw away lots of food which is near to the best before,
but they still are totally eatable. In Estonia there is one company, which is
called Food Bank. Food Bank collects the food from the supermarkets which
are going to throw away and give the products for the people who need help
with food in Estonia.
You should not go to shop with empty stomach, because then you want to buy
everything which looks nice and tasty. But you probably don’t eat that food
what you bought and it just goes bad and you throw it away.
Serve small amounts of food with the understanding that everybody can come
back for more once they've cleared their plate. This is especially helpful for
children, who rarely estimate how much they can eat at once. Any leftovers can
be cooled, stored in the fridge and used another day.
Hedda:
Buy loose fruits and vegetables instead of packed, then you can buy exactly the
amount you need and don’t produce so much plastic litter.
If you have a garden then then you should collect the products which are
biodegradable and put into a compost bin. Then you don't produce so much
garbage and you can use the soil in your garden.
And if you have animals at home then you can give them the leftovers.
The UK, US and Europe have nearly twice as much food as is required by the
nutritional needs of their populations. Up to half the entire food supply is
wasted between the farm and the fork. If crops wastefully fed to livestock are
included, European countries have more than three times more food than
they need, while the US has around four times more food than is needed, and
up to three-quarters of the nutritional value is lost before it reaches people's
mouths.
Silje:
Think. Be a smart shopper and think about what you are buying and when it
will be eaten. Wasting food is often a subconscious act – become aware of how
much food you throw away. Plan meals and use shopping lists. Bring your
leftovers home from restaurants in reusable containers.
Eat. Become a more mindful eater. Eyes bigger than your stomach? Request
smaller portions and become a leftovers guru.
Save. Save your food, save your money and save the environment. Donate to
food banks and become a conscious consumer.
http://www.howtogetridofstuff.com/how-to-get-rid-of-leftover-food/
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/71/Anadama_bread_(1).jpg
http://cooks.ndtv.com/article/show/9-ways-to-avoid-food-wastage-at-home-375569
http://www.unep.org/wed/quickfacts/
http://www.sepa.org.uk/waste/moving_towards_zero_waste/zero_waste_regulations.aspx
http://www.nhomatogdrikke.no/article.php/category/Fakta%20om%20matsvinn/article/S%
C3%A5%20mye%20mat%20kaster%20vi/?articleID=551&category
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/nov/07/why-waste-food-home
http://www.ssb.no/natur-og-miljo/artikler-og-publikasjoner/miljodimensjonen-ved-matenunder-lupen
http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/green-living/reduce-food-waste-460708
Members of the group:
Hedda Hofset
Laura Tammiste
Silje Urtegård
Lisa Marie Karlsen
Niamh Tait
Heather O’Connor
Anette Drabløs