You may have noticed a lot of people have food on the brain lately – well, food waste, that is! States like California and Massachusetts are beginning to mandate organics diversion programs, and organizations across Canada and the US are moving compost collections to the top of their priority list. While some jurisdictions have had ‘green bin’ programs running for a while, many others are looking to start or ramp up their own for the first time. Some are at a loss for where to…

The holidays are again upon us! Though it looks like we won’t be as dependent on Zoom to see family this year, the Pandemic is still leaving its mark on the season. News headlines have been filled with predictions of empty shelves as holiday shoppers experience the effects of the global supply chain disruption. Media stories have played up the Grinch-like implications for gift giving, but this is actually a good opportunity to take a deep breath and consider our priorities. Is there another way…

As people start to get into the spirit of the holidays, sustainability and ‘greening’ efforts tend to be put on the back-burner. Household waste increases nearly 25% between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day in the United States alone (via Ohio EPA). One BIG contributor to the increase in waste – other than the food waste generated by big family meals – is that lovely gift wrap paper adorning the millions of presents given throughout the holiday season. In the U.S., annual trash from gift-wrap and shopping…

While many people realize that waste can be reduced by recycling, less attention has been given to the problem of waste generated by uneaten/spoiled food. It’s no less important, though, and is increasingly drawing attention from sustainability and hunger-prevention advocates. Let’s start with some facts: It’s estimated that 40% of all food produced in the United States goes to the landfill. That’s right, 42.8 million tons – close to half of all the food we grow and raise is simply thrown out as trash, even…