Author Archives: Jonathan

Friday Buffet

The real March Madness–Recyclemania–is now under way. I’m especially fond of the “Waste Minimization” category, as that’s kind of the point. — — It’s hard not to enjoy this neat animated illustration of Michael Pollan’s food rules. And I’m sure they used that food featured in the video, right? — — I’m so excited about […]

February 17, 2012 | Posted in Friday Buffet, Restaurant | Comments closed

Flash Freezing

Let me get this straight–before last week, all perishable food bought in the UK carried the advice to ‘freeze food on day of purchase?!’ Seriously? Happily, that is no longer the case at the major British chain Sainsbury’s, as they’ve backed off that uber-cautious advice. With the backing of the waste-reduction crew at WRAP, Sainsbury’s labels […]

February 15, 2012 | Posted in International, Supermarket | Comments closed

Teaching About Waste

There’s an increasing attention being paid to waste of all kinds. That’s why a waste curriculum aimed at the most-important-to-reach Americans (from a waste-generating standpoint) is key. Anyone looking to teach elementary school students about waste should say ‘Thanks, Ohio!’ And then turn to The Ohio Department of Natural Resources’ Windows on Waste curriculum. It […]

February 13, 2012 | Posted in School, Waste Stream | Comments closed

Friday Buffet

Beauty is only skin deep: There may just be an “Ugly” food company forming in the UK to sell items that don’t look beautiful but taste great. — — New again: Chefs turning scraps into a second act. This works on so many levels. — — Etiquette sure can prompt food waste. Here’s a neat […]

February 10, 2012 | Posted in Friday Buffet, International, Life to Leftovers | Comments closed

Clear Skies for Airport Food Recovery?

If you’ve spent any late night time at the airport, chances are you’ve wondered what happened to all that wrapped, prepared food. Unfortunately, it’s usually tossed. But that is changing at Tampa International Airport, where food vendor HMS Host is donating these packaged eats like sandwiches and those yummy yet incredibly pricey yogurt parfaits to a […]

February 8, 2012 | Posted in Airline, Food Recovery | Comments closed

What’s In Your Trash?

I’m a little unclear on why an insurance company commissioned this awesome trash composition infographic, but I’m not complaining. In fact, I think it’s a fabulous way to convey how wasteful we are with all of our resources. And, yeah, I’m a sucker for a good infographic. Two quick notes: –The 13.9% stat is a […]

February 6, 2012 | Posted in Waste Stream | Comments closed

Friday Buffet

Anyone looking to rescue some food should check out this awesome produce recovery guide. Thanks to Rotary First Harvest for putting out the uber-useful guide. — — UCSB has begun a student-led composting project. The best part is that students are the ones doing the sorting. While that means a lower food waste capture rate […]

February 3, 2012 | Posted in College, Composting, Food Recovery, International, Supermarket | Comments closed

Cap’n Cattle Feed

Forget grass-fed beef, how about Cap’n Crunch-fed? An article in Harvest reports that, often, more than half of cattle feed comes from food manufacturing excess. The mix of scraps and seconds that used to be the domain of hogs, is becoming increasingly common with cattle. My first thought: what a nice use of excess materials that keeps […]

February 1, 2012 | Posted in Processing Plants, Waste Stream | Comments closed

Monday Leftovers

South Koreans will soon be getting used to weight-based waste bins that charge residents for the amount of food waste they create. Swipe cards will help the machines keep track of who wastes what. It’s the latest waste-reduction step for a nation without much room. (They’ve already banned food from landfills.) — — Students at […]

January 30, 2012 | Posted in College, Friday Buffet, International, Trayless | Comments closed

Mutato Project

I love produce that has…character. You know, the stuff that looks–pick one–quirky, ugly or odd. When I find especially striking examples, I do this: Uli Westphal is a German photographer who also enjoys “non-standard fruits, roots and vegetables.” Except when he finds interesting examples, being a professional photographer, he does this: What could be better […]

January 25, 2012 | Posted in Farm, International | Comments closed