Author Archives: Jonathan

Wasting No Time Analyzing New Waste Study

The Institute of Mechanical Engineers just released a major study on global food waste. It’s always exciting to see further research on food waste come to light and Global Food: Waste Not, Want Not is no exception. Its major finding is that 30 to 50% of the world’s food never reaches human stomachs. The lower figure isn’t […]

January 10, 2013 | Posted in International, Stats | Comments closed

Fresh From the Garbage

If this video doesn’t make you want to go dumpster diving, I doubt anything will. Waste Cooking is an Austrian reality show that began airing on television in December (episodes are also online minus the subtitles). Divers hunt and gather what treasures they can from the trash and hold public cooking demonstrations to tempt passersby […]

January 7, 2013 | Posted in Freegan, International | Comments closed

Friday Buffet

Since food prices are set to increase in 2013, it’s the perfect time to cut waste to keep your food costs steady. The Globe and Mail concurs. Meanwhile, that article contains the astounding fact that “Canadian households waste 38 per cent of their food purchased in store and restaurants.” Whoa. — — This Pittsburgh Post-Gazette […]

January 4, 2013 | Posted in Friday Buffet, Household, International, Supermarket | Comments closed

Friday Buffet

At last–a peer-reviewed analysis of trayless dining! Two American University researchers found that removing trays at their all-you-can-eat cafeteria cut food waste by 32%. What’s more, diners use 27% fewer dishes, leading to water and energy savings. — — As we learn here, cutting food waste would go a long way toward making our food […]

December 21, 2012 | Posted in Anaerobic Digestion, College, Composting, Energy, Environment, Stats, Trayless | Comments closed

Yule Waste Less

Ashley Koff recently asked on Twitter when I was going to post some simple waste-saving tips for the holidays. Good question, Ashley! Here goes: While I already covered similar ground in a longer Thanksgiving post, here’s a simplified version: 1. Get a firm head count. Knowing how many people you’ll be hosting helps the planning. 2. […]

December 19, 2012 | Posted in History and Culture, Household | Comments closed

Friday Buffet

The NRDC is at it again, this time publishing an issue brief on fruit and vegetable loss at the farm and packing level. Hot off the press! — — Here are a few Big Facts: 1.3 billion tons of food are wasted globally every year. That equates to 6-10% of human-generated greenhouse gas emissions. — […]

December 14, 2012 | Posted in College, Composting, Environment, International, Stats | Comments closed

Positive Signs

During my previous trip to Bucknell, where I have a series of week-long engagements, I visited Nancy White’s Mindful Consumption class a few times. The students then had an assignment to create awareness-raising signs on food waste. To my great delight, these signs are now hanging in Bucknell’s (trayless) cafeteria, where John Cummins and his […]

December 12, 2012 | Posted in College, Personal | Comments closed

Leftover Love from High Above

The UK Environment Secretary is a cabinet member and holds duties similar to the US Secretary of Agriculture and the head of the EPA. So when Environment Secretary Owen Paterson talks about the need to use our leftovers, my ears perk up. In a speech launching a sustainable food initiative with the Women’s Institute, Paterson […]

December 10, 2012 | Posted in International, Leftovers | Comments closed

Friday Buffet

Thanks for the tips on avoiding food waste, Dr. Weil! — — There’s an appropriate mood to this fabulous European Union-made video on food waste. Lamenting? Melancholy? Also–awesome disclaimer at the end of the video: “All the food used during the shooting of this clip has been cooked and eaten by the crew.” — — […]

December 7, 2012 | Posted in Friday Buffet, International, Waste Stream | Comments closed

A Spot of History

Our friend Kirsten Bourne, marketing director for San Francisco’s Bi-Rite Market, was at a British-themed party recently and came across the tome to the right. She kindly sent me a passage from these instructions for US personnel headed to Britain during World War II. As you can see in the text below, the manual has […]

December 5, 2012 | Posted in History and Culture, International | Comments closed