Alarming reports about food waste have been circulating the web. Several initiatives have been started by some nations to reduce food waste. Korea for example has set an agreed amount of food that could be thrown away per household else they pay a fine.
A solidarity fridge has been erected in Spain so households can store their food that is still edible in it instead of throwing them away. Anyone can benefit from the solidarity fridge. Now a documentary on how much food is wasted was made by a couple in Canada. For six months, they feasted on discarded foods and documented it, "Just Eat It: A Food Waste Story".
As reported by NPR, about 133 billion pounds of food are wasted each year in the United States according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. There are a lot of food loss even at the early stages of production. Imperfect fruits and vegetables get discarded at the farm and warehouses toss food that are no longer fresh. Lastly, about half of the food gets thrown by consumers as we buy, cook and serve food more than we can eat.
So Jen Rustemeyer and Grant Baldwin decided to do something about the similar situation they have in Canada, where the couple lives. For six months, they vowed to eat food waste. In an interview with the news site, the couple's friends had come to realize the value of food according to the couple.
"People went grocery shopping at our home all the time," Baldwin says.
By the end of six months, the amount of food the couple found was immeasurable. However, the couple was able to categorize the ones they took home which amounted to about $20,000. During this time, they only spent $200 on groceries.
The couple rummaged dumpsters behind wholesale and warehouses to look for food as most places are not willing to sell outdated food. The couple is always sure to find an 18-foot dumpster filled with food most of which are near their expiration but never passed it.
Most of the food items they found were dried goods like rice and frozen meats, a lot of bread and dairy and $13,000 worth of organic chocolate bars as well.
A lot of food gets wasted because of cosmetic issues. The couple went to a farmer once and found out that about 30 to 70 percent of his peaches get wasted because they don't look perfect. Supermarkets have set rigid rules for farmers to follow and this result to a lot of waste.
"Just Eat It: A Food Waste Story" is now available on demand online. Know how much food you're wasting. Do you like this story? Don't forget to spread the information on Facebook!
