Facing The Food Scraps Quandary

There’s no doubt we waste tons of food. On an individual level to start with, then there are restaurants, hotels, old aged-homes, military bases, and so on. Now multiply that by thousands. A lot of unused food scraps sadly get tossed into the garbage in millions of kitchens around the world. Are we buying too much food? Take a moment and think of all the food you have thrown away this past week.

Decomposing food scraps release a nasty Greenhouse Gas (GHG) known as methane, a huge no-no in our combat against carbon emissions. With the smallest shift, a massive impact, and with no action for change, this flammable GHG is here to stay and cause some destruction. With the simple acts of organic chemistry, this issue is solvable, by capturing the methane and adding water produces propane – a flammable gas used in kitchens and other spaces. This is entirely doable on a large-scale but miscommunication and withdrawing from responsibilities are human errors we need to collectively work on. Wouldn’t it be cool to pick vegetables from your community garden, make a healthy meal for you and your loved ones, and repurpose the food scraps for gas? Not only are you reducing your carbon footprint, but you get a huge cost reduction in your gas bill.

We all Share the Responsibility.

Communication, collaboration, and sustainability are essential phrases that need to be practiced, both on an individual level and a community level. Speak to your local leaders about creating spaces for people to exercise alternative, sustainable practices. A collective effort is a way to ensure that we will get the means of maintaining sustainable alternatives. As much as it is a restaurant’s responsibility to provide paper straws for your cocktails or implement food scrap giveaways, you too can make the difference.