A new study, from the University of Arizona (UA) in Tucson, indicates that a shocking 40% to 50% of all food ready for harvest never gets eaten.  That food can be either damaged in transit, considered trim waste as part of the production process, doesn’t get sold to a consumer or perhaps isn’t eaten by the consumer at home.

Speaking of home consumers – this is another extreme example of how much we waste food:  Say you went to the grocery for a weekly shopping trip and brought home 5 bags of groceries.  Instead of taking all 5 bags into the house, you take one bag from the trunk of your car and throw it directly in the garbage bin.  What?!? Really.  We waste about 20%-25% of all food purchased for the home.  About 50% of that is still in the original package.   The example above of throwing one bag directly into the garbage is pretty accurate.  Sad but true.

What about commercial consumers or large foodservice operators?  We know from our experience that PRE-consumer food waste is about 4%-10% of food purchases.  That doesn’t sound like a lot right?  Well – that 4-10% equals about $40,000-$100,000 for every $1 million spent on food.  Pre-consumer food waste is food that never gets to a guest’s plate.  (Post-consumer waste is food that a guest leaves on their plate).

Here are a few recent catch phrases that we’ve heard to help consumers get back on track with reducing waste:  “Waste not, want not” – an oldy but a goody; and also “Love Food – Hate Waste”.

Remember – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

This article gives an insider view on starting and running a composting plan at special events and festivals.  It mentions a few mistakes and pitfalls to avoid when planning a ‘green’ event.  The “Hints and Tips” section at the bottom of the article are really great.  You can use these ideas even if you aren’t planning something as massive as a State Fair or National Earth Day celebration.  Try them out for your company picnic or next Farmer’s Market.

It’s almost September (just 1 day away!) and the summer festival season is winding to a close.  Keep these “Hints and Tips” nearby when planning next year’s event.

Insider’s Guide To Compostables Collection At Events  http://www.jgpress.com/archives/_free/001918.html

Starting this Fall, all residences and businesses will be required to separate food waste for composting.   This is likely to be the direction that many municipalities will pursue in the months and years to come.  

Read about the details in the SF Chronicle.