Jessica Niekrasz’s Post

While landfills and sewers receive nearly 45% of all surplus food, they contribute 98% of downstream methane emissions. Diverting to anaerobic digestion could essentially eliminate these green house gases that last in our atmosphere for 12 years. This reduction would have an immediate cooling effect that will limit near-term warming.

Why #food manufacturers are paying attention to food waste? Methane emissions. "ReFED found that across the U.S., surplus food is responsible for almost four million metric tons of methane (MTCH4)—nearly 14% of the country’s total methane emissions and the equivalent to what’s generated by 75 million cars annually. Methane comes both from the production of food—primarily beef and dairy—and from systems like landfills and sewers used to manage food when it becomes waste." Dana Gunders #foodwaste #foodmanufacturing #innovation https://lnkd.in/gUPyGk4b

A new report from ReFED, with support from Global Methane Hub, quantifies the methane impacts of wasted food on the environment and the solutions needed to mitigate it. The report highlights three key strategies to reducing methane emissions, such as establishing organics diversion infrastructure which could avoid global methane emissions by 2.8% and incentivizing business adoption of waste prevention solutions to avoid a further 1.4% of global methane emissions. With the clear environmental connection between uneaten and unsold food and methane emissions, reports like this reaffirm why we're so committed to providing holistic solutions for commercial food businesses. We're delivering the data to help prevent wasted food upstream, optimizing the donation of edible food to reduce food insecurity, and transforming inedible food into renewable energy. Let's protect food as the valuable resource that it is. https://lnkd.in/ecGYG4qw #WastedFood #ZeroWasteFuture #RenewableEnergy #Sustainability #ProtectingTheValueOfFood

Food waste isn't just a social issue; it's a significant economic, environmental, and political challenge. Some cities around the world are addressing the problem head-on, not sweeping it under the rug, but by creating real solutions—and more than that, by turning this problem into an opportunity to solve other issues. Kudos to them! Let's confront the problem directly, because if we don't, our waste will inevitably come back to haunt us! #foodwaste #food #health #sustainability #lifesciences #foodlaw #zeigler #zeigleradvogados https://lnkd.in/dchFDgTT

Food waste responsible for 14% of US methane emissions: ReFED "A new report from ReFED and the Global Methane Hub links emissions from the nation’s top methane-producing sectors, such as agriculture and landfills, to food waste. It presents solutions with maximal impact on wasted food emissions both upstream and downstream of consumers." "We are trying to paint the picture that when you are throwing out a burger, you’re throwing out the upstream emissions ... and the downstream emissions ... [w]e are trying to capture that altogether so that people can understand the power of wasted food emissions." [Dana Gunders, president of food waste solutions nonprofit ReFED] "...strategies to reduce upstream emissions are likely to make the greatest immediate impact on methane emissions from wasted food. An estimated 2.5 million metric tons of the methane gas associated with food waste comes from production of the food, while about 1.5 million metric tons comes from downstream management and disposal activities like landfilling" #methane #foodwaste #emissions

A U.S.-based nonprofit that advances solutions to food waste, released new data with support from the Global Methane Hub that identifies the methane hotspots for uneaten or “surplus” food in the U.S., and highlights corresponding solutions that can reduce waste and slash methane emissions. The analysis is the first of its kind to provide a full lifecycle view of methane emissions from surplus food. The new data found that across the U.S., surplus food is responsible for almost 4 million metric tons of methane (MTCH4) — nearly 14% of the country’s total methane emissions and the equivalent to what’s generated by 75 million cars annually. Methane comes both from food production (2.5 million MTCH4) — primarily beef and dairy — and from systems like landfills and sewers used to manage food when it becomes waste (1.5 million MTCH4). “Because of its shorter lifespan and potency, reducing methane emissions is seen as an emergency brake in the fight against climate change,” explains Dana Gunders, president of ReFED. “This new data emphasizes how wasting less food is a critical lever, because it is effectively a one-two punch, reducing methane both in the production of food as well as in its disposal.” https://lnkd.in/gCqM9DxZ

Where does food waste go? Food waste from the food service industry should be properly segregated for anaerobic digestion or composting. ♻️ Anaerobic Digestion uses bacteria in a large, airless tank to break down food waste, producing biogas (a renewable energy source) and digestate (a compost-like material). Composting mixes food waste with woody materials and air, turning it into nutrient-rich compost after a few weeks. 🚫 Food waste should not end up in the general waste bin. If it does, it may either be processed into low-quality material for landfills, end up in the landfill itself producing methane and harmful gases, or be incinerated. Despite legal requirements, food waste still makes up 25-30% of general waste from food service. This needs to change! Let's all do our part in ensuring food waste is properly managed for a greener future! If you have questions about managing (food) waste in your business or are interested in reducing waste, head to my website to book a Discovery Call or learn more about becoming a Zero-to-Landfill business. . . . . . Source: savourfood.ie #ConsciousKitchens #ZeroToLandfill #foodwaste #stopfoodwaste #irishfood #thisisirishfood 

ReFED finds that solutions to divert food scraps from landfills and sewers, such as organic waste bans, can do the most to reduce methane emissions from surplus food. These strategies “address the largest volume of material,” Ringland explains. But date label standardization and other strategies that prevent food from being wasted in the first place offer the highest methane reduction potential. #ReFED groups their proposed solutions into three categories: Recycling infrastructure that diverts organic material from landfill and sewer, consumer facing education and intervention, and food business efficiency and utilization. https://lnkd.in/gc9vEjds

Why do we divert food waste from the landfill? To extend the life of landfills, which take 10 to 15 years to permit new ones that are always further away? To reduce emissions from landfills? To close the loop, keeping valuable nutrients in local soils rather than wasted in a landfill? To expand a labor intensive industry that creates good jobs? Yes, yes, yes, and yes. Interestingly, there is a trend in research emerging that landfills emit more methane than previously known, and nearly 60% of that comes from food waste. And that knowledge should drive behavior changes by all of us. It’s easy to be mad at landfills for hurting our climate this way. But, we have to remember that no landfill operator disposes of its own waste. It’s us who throw things away. There’s never been a better time to start diverting and composting your food waste. And we’ve never had more information than today about how great this can be for all of us.

Big things are happening in downtown Chicago. Located at a 9-acre former dumping site on #Chicago's South Side, the Green Era Chicago Campus anaerobic digester is now fully operational! The digester diverts thousands of pounds of food waste from landfills, feeding people and heating city homes cleanly and sustainably. ♻️ Described by local media as a “machine in Chicago that mimics cow's stomach,” food waste is added to an anaerobic digester. The digester converts the food waste into methane, which then goes into a natural gas pipeline. And the solid material left behind after digestion, (digestate) provides a nutrient-rich non-synthetic fertilizer for community gardens. Eliminating dangerous emissions while generating clean energy, stopping food waste, growing food to feed people and creating jobs—what an exciting project to learn from! #HungerActionMonth #BenefitsOfBiogas #StopFoodWaste #Biogas https://lnkd.in/gCTw4EAb