Avoid food waste, save money and fight climate change with DEC

MONTPELIER, Vermont. — This September, the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is challenging Vermonters to save money and greenhouse gas emissions by eliminating food waste. The DEC Solid Waste Program is hosting the second annual self-guided Scrap Food Waste Challenge from September 9-30.

“Thanks to the Universal Recycling Law, Vermonters already don't throw their food scraps in the trash, but avoiding food scraps is even better than composting them,” said DEC Commissioner Jason Batchelder. “The goal of the Scrap Food Waste Challenge is for participants to change their mindset about food waste. Small changes – like storing food scraps in clear containers, checking the refrigerator before you go shopping, and remembering to put food scraps in the back of the refrigerator – can have a big impact.”

Participants will receive three email newsletters per week and can follow the challenge on social media. The challenge helps participants track their food waste and apply tips on topics such as meal planning, strategic shopping, food storage and use-it-up recipes.

One former participant said, “I wouldn’t eat broccoli stalks if I hadn’t learned this from the Scrap Food Waste Challenge.”

According to ReFED, a leading food waste solutions organization, consumers are the largest single source of food waste in the United States. ReFED found that 37% of wasted food occurs at home. Of that, only 24% of wasted food was thrown away because it was inedible (e.g., peach pits or eggshells). The rest of wasted food was thrown away for reasons such as “spoiled,” “I didn't want leftovers,” “concerns about the date label,” and “problems with cooking.”

The fact that so much food waste occurs at home—at the end of the supply chain—is important because the impacts add up. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), reducing food waste at home and in restaurants offers the greatest benefits in terms of energy use and greenhouse gas emissions—even when compared to farms, processing plants and grocery stores.

Halving food waste by 2030 is a national goal of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the U.S. FDA.

“When food that could have been eaten is thrown away or put in the compost, all the energy, hard work and money that went into growing, processing, transporting, storing, purchasing and serving the food is wasted,” says Alyssa Eiklor of the DEC Solid Waste Program.

The Scrap Food Waste Challenge not only offers participants a chance to avoid food waste and fight climate change, but also save money. People may not have much control over what happens on farms, in factories, stores or restaurants. But they do have control over their kitchens and their shopping, cooking and eating habits.

Visit scrapfoodwaste.org to register for the Scrap Food Waste Challenge. Contact Alyssa Eiklor of the DEC Solid Waste Program for more information: [email protected] or 802-477-2097.