In a new op-ed article in the Los Angeles Times, Dana Gunders, the director of ReFED, offers a road map to climate change solutions through none other than food waste. Not only offering solutions, Gunders outlines the costs as well as returns, making sure to emphasize the beneficial impacts of action. All of this provides the fundamental structure for actions that the Biden administration should take to address climate change.
When it comes to finding climate change solutions, we should at least start by looking at food waste. As outlined in Gunder’s article, food waste is responsible for about 4% of US greenhouse gas emissions. The United Nations Environment Programme’s most recent report found that globally, food waste is responsible for 8-10% of greenhouse emissions. This is almost as much as ground transportation alone.
Looking into food waste will not only reduce our impact, but bring more money into businesses as well. ReFED’s plan projects from $14 billion in investment, we could see $73 billion in economic returns over the next decade. This shows us that there are massive benefits to the money that would be required for this plan.
Whether it’s investing in restaurants, technology, or composting infrastructure, ReFED has a number of solutions. Investing here and working to address food waste will truly bring us one step closer to curbing climate change. Government investment in essential to this plan, not only for financing but adoption by citizens as well. With the right changes, we can begin to tackle this global problem one waste banana at a time!
To hear more about ReFED’s plan make sure to check out their article here. We also have several articles about how you can reduce your food waste at home. Check out our articles about food waste tips and tricks or food waste mistakes that we all make.
As always, make sure to stay up to date on all things food waste here. Give your fruits and veggies the life they deserve!
