One of the major problems in our current supply chain system is the amount of food that is thrown away and wasted. According to New York University’s The Economist Review, approximately 40 million tons of food are wasted and thrown away each year. While a small percentage of this food is thrown away because it is truly no longer safe to eat, a much larger percentage is wasted due to aesthetic preferences, false expiration dates, and mismanagement on the producer, distributor, seller, and consumer levels. 

One potential solution, of which many are needed, to the food waste dilemma is increasing the infrastructure for composting, which would allow food waste to be converted back into healthy soil that can be used for agriculture. Keep reading below to learn more about food waste and the potential solutions, including composting.

  1. Global Reports
  2. The Business of Food Waste
  3. Composting
    • Note: Composting is the last resort that comes before landfill disposal. The best method to reduce food waste is reducing the source of consumption. Composting should prioritize peels and scraps rather than an entire dinner plate or whole apple.
    • Curbside Composting in Austin
    • Apartment Composting
  4. Food Waste Workshop with Microfarm on 10/25/2020
  5. Food Recovery Hierarchy: How to prioritize extra food