food waste recycling and its benefits

What Are Food Waste Recycling and Its Benefits?

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We waste foods when we buy more food than we need, store it improperly, throw away leftovers, and prepare too much,  We waste all the water and energy necessary to manufacture, package, and deliver food from the field to our plates when we toss food away.

Every year, homes in the United Kingdom throw away approximately 4.5 million tonnes of food, the majority of which might have been consumed. It would fill 38 million wheelie bins or 90 Royal Albert Halls. You will save money and assist to minimise greenhouse gas emissions by not throwing out food that could have been consumed.

We can lower our carbon footprint, harness renewable energy, and return key nutrients to the soil by diverting food waste away from landfills. Food waste is recyclable, thus it should be handled effectively to prevent greenhouse gas emissions from landfills.

Food waste recycling or Reusing

Giveaway

According to the food waste hierarchy, edible food waste should be repurposed to feed humans first. Food waste that is still edible can be donated to food banks and other charities, which will distribute it to hungry people.

Feed Animal

food waste recycling and its benefits - Feed Animal

If this is not possible, the food is fed to animals, which is the second-best alternative. Did you realise that animals consume 36% of the world’s crop calories? By transferring an increasing amount of food waste to livestock farms, these crops might be used to feed humans – an estimated 4 billion people!

In-Vessel Composting

This entails mixing food waste with garden trash, shredding it, and composting it for 2-4 weeks at temperatures up to 70°C in an enclosed system.

Anaerobic Digestion

In the absence of oxygen, microorganisms break down food waste, animal dung, slurries, and energy crops inside an enclosed environment. As it decomposes, methane is released, which is collected and transformed into biogas, which is then utilised to generate electricity, heat, or transport fuels. It also produces a nutrient-dense digestate that can be utilised as a fertiliser and for soil regeneration.

Benefits of Recycling Food Waste

Support Local Community

Support Local Community

Food, on the other hand, is something that many people require. Sending edible leftover food from your business to homeless shelters, food banks, and other charity is an excellent waste management way to fulfil your social obligation as a company. Of course, these organisations will only accept food that is still edible, even if the ‘best before’ dates have passed — it’s the ‘use by’ dates that you should keep an eye on! You will be actively making a difference in your neighbourhood, helping your local community, and feeding the hungry by diverting this food away from landfills.

Saves money

Protecting the bottom line is constantly on the agenda for most firms! You may reduce the quantity of general waste you produce and sending it to the landfill by recycling your food waste, cut the cost on taxes.

You will also develop a highly effective supply chain by examining your organisation and figuring out how to prevent food waste in the first place.

Reducing food waste saves water

Reducing food waste saves water

Food waste generation accounts for almost a quarter of all freshwater used in agriculture. Also squandered are the 300 million barrels of oil needed in food production and farming, which will inevitably be wasted.

Boosts Business Reputation

Implementing a food waste recycling strategy as part of your organization’s larger environmental activities is a terrific approach to appeal to your clients’ ethical sensibilities.

According to reports, one-third of UK shoppers want to purchase wisely. Whatever the actual facts are, it is obvious that an increasing number of individuals are considering business effects when making purchasing decisions. Increasing your company’s eco-credentials – regardless of industry – may be a powerful marketing strategy, ensuring that you are the obvious choice for your target audience.

Reduce Your CO2 Emissions

As previously noted, food waste breaks down in landfills and releases methane. This gas contributes to the greenhouse effect, trapping the sun’s heat in the atmosphere and dangerously warming the world. Everyone must try to make a difference in whatever way they can to help minimise global warming. You can reduce your company’s carbon footprint by reducing food waste and disposing of any that is unavoidable in a responsible manner.

Reduce Your CO2 Emissions

The growing concern about global warming and resource conservation linked with food waste has prompted both public and commercial entities to adopt remedial actions to handle trash in an environmentally responsible manner over the last few decades. Use the measures to successfully recycle food waste, diverting organic matter from landfills and lowering GHG emissions as a result.

These are a few benefits of recycling waste of foods. Everyone has to be responsible and try to not waste food as much as possible.