Tag Archives: food waste

Big-time Bycatch

When it comes to food waste in the seafood industry, the key buzzword is bycatch. That term represents the creatures caught as a byproduct when fishing for another type of seafood. And the numbers are shocking–as much as half of fish caught in the Europe are being thrown back into the ocean, dead. This bycatch occurs […]

May 18, 2012 | Posted in Environment | Comments closed

In Defense of Real Food

Here’s exhibit A on why I love farmers’ markets (and vegetable gardens). Where else is there a market for something as unique-looking as this?! The conventional retail system has no use for this kind of cucumber. It’d never leave the farm. But–you’ll never believe it–this curvy cuke tasted a) like a regular cucumber and b) […]

May 16, 2012 | Posted in Alphabet Produce, Farmers' Market, Personal | Comments closed

AntarctiCan You Believe How Far They Ship Waste?

What’s Antarctican food waste doing in Spokane? Why, it’s being burned, of course. Apparently, life on Antarctica is like camping–pack it in, pack it out. Not being able to dig a hole (to build a landfill) and having to follow the Arctic Treaty, Antarctic researchers have to send all of their refuse elsewhere. Most everything […]

May 14, 2012 | Posted in Composting, Energy, Environment, Waste Stream | Comments closed

Friday Buffet

Korea may be onto something with their trash reduction strategy–using (RFID) electronic chips to help users pay for what they throw! — — The food safety experts at Consumer Reports weigh in on what ketchup rates highest how long summer condiments stay good. In my opinion, they err a tad on the cautious side (two weeks for […]

April 27, 2012 | Posted in Composting, Friday Buffet, International, Technology | Comments closed

Sensing a Problem

I promise I don’t hate technology. I’m not writing this on parchment paper in a cave. But when I read about this scannable, edible patch, I wasn’t thrilled. A Tufts professor has created a patch made from gold (Gold?! ) and plastic (yum!) that your smarty talky gizmo smartphone reads to note how much bacteria […]

April 26, 2012 | Posted in Food Safety, Household, Technology | Comments closed

Finnishing Food Waste?

It’s always nice to learn about food waste in a country we don’t often hear from. Today, we see a study on food waste in Finland. Three quick thoughts on the report: Finns waste less food than most Europeans/North Americans. Finnish households produce more waste than any other sector (30-40 percent of the waste). But…I’m […]

April 23, 2012 | Posted in International | Comments closed

Bieber Battles Waste

There’s that constant blog temptation to link to popular search terms like Bieber and American Wasteland. But this time there’s good reason: Justin Bieber loves food and hates waste. The Biebs recently trimmed his food demands in his tour rider, demanding less dressing room food at each concert venue. Perhaps the pop star made the […]

April 16, 2012 | Posted in Events | Comments closed

Student Input

I recently spoke to an engaged food studies class at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill (UNC). The course, known as Eats 101, is an honors seminar on food and culture in the program in Food, Agriculture and Sustainable Development. After talking about food waste for a bit, I asked the students for their ideas […]

April 2, 2012 | Posted in College | Comments closed

Bi Into This Challenge

With Earth Day fast approaching, the good people at Bi-Rite Market have issued a challenge. A Food Waste Challenge. Here’s how it works: Leave a comment on the Bi-Rite blog post on the food that you or your community often wastes. Then, the San Fran retailer will identify foods that are often wasted. Bi-Rite will […]

March 26, 2012 | Posted in Household, Supermarket | Comments closed

Guest Post: In Defense of Stale Bread

Aaron Bobrow-Strain is the author of White Bread: A Social History of the Store-Bought Loaf (Beacon Press, 2012). His writings have also appeared in Gastronomica and The Believer. Here is his impassioned ode to stale bread: — In July 1913, The New York Times announced a Dutch invention—“exceedingly complex and scientific”—that would keep bread fresh […]

March 8, 2012 | Posted in Guest Posts, Household | Comments closed