COLUMBUS – Every day, nearly 1 million pounds of food is dumped in the Franklin County landfill, a number that officials would like to cut in half over the next eight years.
April is Earth Month and the week of April 4-8 is Food Waste Prevention Week
The average family of four in central Ohio spends about $1,500 per year on food that gets thrown and each person in central Ohio requires an area of land larger than a basketball court to grow the food they don’t eat every year, Hannah Greer-Brown of the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio said.
“When we throw out all of the food on our dinner plates instead eating it or composting it, we’re throwing out all of the resources in took to make that food,” she said.
That includes the estimated 41 billion gallons of water; 160,000 acres of land and 22 million gallons of gas it takes to grow, harvest and transport food that is purchased but never eaten, Greer-Brown said.
Residents can reduce the amount of food they waste by taking a few simple steps: Make a grocery list of what you have on hand so you don’t end up with duplicates, store food properly, and find ways to use leftovers, food scraps or imperfect produce.
Greer-Brown says wisely packing lunches for school and work can help. She recommends using a recycled bag, bringing washable napkins and reusable flatware, eliminating beverage straws or using one made of stainless steel, and packing only what you need.