FOOD WASTE

Overview

There are many types of food waste. These include uneaten prepared food; spoiled food; food that is not edible; peels, rinds, and other kitchen trimmings typically considered inedible; and food by-products, such as eggshells and coffee grounds. About 43 percent of food waste comes from homes; 40 percent from restaurants, grocery stores, and food service companies; 16 percent from farms; and two percent from manufacturers, according to Food Waste in America 2022, a study released by the company RTS.79

Depending on the local food system and general public practices, wasted food can be a valuable resource. It can generate nutrient-rich soil when it is composted, or be repurposed as animal feed, processed into food ingredients such as spices, converted into fertilizer, or anaerobically digested to create energy. Alternatively, it can be thrown away as garbage, feeding landfills and incinerators, where it releases methane, a harmful greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere.

Excess food at risk of being wasted can also be recovered and donated to feed people. Like food waste, the extent to which excess food retains its value depends on policies, practices, and relationships within the local food system. Recovery and donation of excess food does not prevent the creation of food waste, though it will reduce the amount of food that is thrown away, while also reducing hunger among Philadelphia residents. This chapter of Growing from the Root focuses on preventing and reducing food waste within the city’s food system.

WHAT IS COMPOST?

Compost is decayed organic material such as food waste and plant matter. It can be used to add nutrients to soil, which can then be used to fertilize plants. Compost may also be used for other purposes, such as making clothing dye.

Why Philadelphia Needs To Reduce And Recover Food Waste

People generate food waste on a daily basis, at home, in restaurants, at grocery stores, as well as at farms and food manufacturing facilities. Residential properties in Philadelphia throw out about 335,000 tons of organic waste each year, including food scraps and yard waste, according to the Philadelphia Office of Sustainability. Of that, about one-third—117,000 tons—is food waste.80 Efforts to reduce, rescue, and repurpose food waste are essential because:

> 20% of edible food is thrown out in Philadelphia each day,81 while one in five Philadelphians experience hunger every day.82

> Food and yard waste fills 55 trash trucks in Philadelphia every day, or roughly 37 percent of the municipal solid waste stream, according to the Streets Department.

> At $65 per ton in landfill fees,83 disposing of an estimated 335,000 tons of food and yard waste costs the city roughly $21 million per year.

> Wasted food sent to the landfill creates greenhouse gasses that contribute to climate change.

Investing in sustainable food waste management policies and initiatives is a priority for residents, according to public meeting participants. Ninety percent of participants favor City-provided curbside compost pick-up, but they are realistic about the challenges. Concerns include people putting contaminants in with their compostable food scraps; complaints about pests and smells if food scraps and composting sites are not well managed; and skepticism given the City’s limited resources and historic struggles with litter, waste management, and recycling practices.

Participants say they are confident experienced local companies can partner with the City to make progress toward zero waste; 71 percent said public-private partnerships are critical to sustainable food waste management processes in Philadelphia, along with buy-in from City agencies. Residents also emphasize that public education is key to success.