Sustainable living tends to be associated with wealthy people in wealthy regions of the country. Acts such as purchasing an electric vehicle, installing solar panels, eating a plant based diet or recycling food waste are usually performed by relatively affluent populations.
All of these choices support a healthier environment, but most can be cost prohibitive to many Americans. However, with the appropriate investment, food waste diversion is something that can be done by every food secure person regardless of income. So why isn’t it?
According to data from GreenBlue, only 27% of Americans have access to food waste recycling services such as residential curbside collections or drop off sites. That might not seem too bad until one discovers that most of this access is provided through private, subscription based haulers or drop off locations that place the burden on participants to self transport their materials.
Currently, only 3% of Americans are able to utilize a municipally sponsored curbside collection program for their food waste.
Given the fact that this country produces more food waste per ton than plastic and metal, combined, it seems nonsensical to simply let this precious feedstock be thrown away.
Inherently, there are challenges associated with food waste recycling that cannot be ignored. Materials are wet and heavy which make them difficult to store and puts a strain on collection vehicles and workers. On the processing side, poorly managed facilities can produce odors and pests leading to health concerns for employees as well as nearby residents.
Despite the challenges, food waste diversion has the ability to play a crucial role in improving food security, combating economic injustice and mitigating climate change.
The Green Era Chicago Campus in the city’s South Side is a great example of this. The 9-acre campus being built on a former brownfield will house an anaerobic digester, garden plots and community education center.
Food waste brought to the campus will be converted into renewable energy and compost. The power generated onsite will feed into the grid and the compost will be used to grow food for the neighborhood’s residents.
On a larger scale, increased rates of food waste recycling can help nourish livestock, diversify America’s renewable energy supply, fertilize cropland and create green jobs.
While it would be impractical to suggest that food waste recycling alone can end poverty or help the world avert a climate disaster, universal access to it should be something more aggressively considered by governments and policymakers to move the needle toward a more sustainable and equitable future.
