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Fighting food waste in households

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The waste management industry is trying to devise new ways of disposing of food waste. South Africa produces around 10 million tonnes of food waste per year - one of the largest by volume in Africa. Most of this waste comes from presale processes before the food even hits the shelves, but a significant proportion comes from the home.Government, industry players and society have a role to play in managing and reducing food waste. The government can introduce new policies around the issue, waste management companies can divert food waste from landfills and society can adopt a new attitude towards discarding food. These are simplified suggestions but they are necessary steps to take.

Government policies around food waste

It is believed that one-third of all food produced goes to waste around the globe. The South African government has made a pledge to halve food waste by 2030. They are adjusting laws and introducing new legislation to help guide waste management companies in the disposal of food waste. These changes to the law will also inspire innovation in the waste management and food production sectors. Better benchmarks will be set and the standards of food waste handling will become higher, leading to more sustainable methods of dealing with the volume of discarded food.

Waste management companies improve

South African waste management companies are also improving in terms of how they handle food waste. Sustainable solutions are being devised that offer better ways to dispose of food waste than simply sending it to landfill.Composting is the preferred method of disposal for organic food. The nutrients in fruit pips and vegetable trimmings are retained in the compost, which is then added to the soil as a natural fertiliser. Anaerobic digestion and bioremediation are other examples of sustainable and innovative methods of processing food waste.

Society can adjust attitude to food waste

Consumers attitudes towards food need to change. People are too quick to throw out leftover food or perfectly edible scraps at home. Ugly fruits and vegetables are left to ripen on supermarket shelves. Expired organic food is simply thrown in the bin, instead of a compost bucket. Small attitude adjustments can help to reduce food waste in the household.If the government’s goal of halving food waste by the end of the next decade is to be met, then society has a significant role to play. The shift in attitude takes time - decades even - but through education and awareness-raising efforts, society can begin to reduce their food waste.It’s important for people to separate their organic food waste from non-organic waste and recyclables. This avoids contamination of recycling batches and organic compost. Place a separate compost bucket and recycling bin in the kitchen to separate the three types of waste more easily.Tackling food waste in the household is the best place to start. It will help to reduce the cost of handling the waste and will ensure a cleaner environment for all. The knock-on effects of good food waste disposal practices in the household will benefit society and help South Africa to achieve the government’s 2030 vision.___Averda is a leading waste management provider with over 50 years of experience across three continents. Through growth, transformation and engagement, we strive to find new ways of managing waste while protecting the community and environment. ___By pairing international expertise with local insights, we have secured our position as one of South Africa’s most respected providers of waste management and industrial cleaning services. We also operate in the recycling, pipe inspection, CCTV, infrastructure inspection, hydro-demolition, high-pressure water jetting and catalyst handling industries. ___Follow us Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn for the best tips on recycling and the latest industry news. See our Instagram and YouTube channels for more insights into environmental affairs and our work with local communities.