Eating sustainably. Reduce waste, carbon emissions and money spent
Today, 16th of October, is “World Food Day”. Food is rising in price, but in 2019, Ireland wasted 1.1 million tonnes of food waste, or 55 kg per head. We are dedicating this post to showing you how to reduce your food waste, save money and buy more sustainable.
Food waste
Retain this sentence: 1/3 of the global food produced is lost or wasted
Consumers, supermarkets, and retailers play an important role in this percentage. When we waste food, we are wasting other resources, such as the energy and the water that were required to be produced. If food loss and waste were a country, it would be the third-biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions.
Fruits and vegetables, plus roots and tubers have the highest wastage rates of any food (40-50%) compared to cereals (30%), fish (35%), oil seeds, meat, and dairy (20%)
Some tips to reduce your food waste (and, at the same time, save money):
🍊 Buy only what you are going to eat. It is not necessary to be prepared for the next apocalypse! Try not to accumulate and eat what you already have.
🍉 Organize your fridge by expiration date to make sure the food doesn’t rot.
🥦 Vegetable peelings and scraps should be thrown in the compost; you can even use it to grow some vegetables at home
🍞 If you are not hungry, and you don’t want to finish your plate, don’t throw it away and keep the leftovers in the fridge. You will appreciate it later, when you are in a hurry, and you don’t have time to cook. In addition, in some restaurants, they are already offering the option to pack your leftovers.
🥝 Keep an eye on our social media because we will be posting more about zero waste. Check how to prepare a Zero Waste Delicious Vegetable Stock . And watch our FSG Live Show about How to Design a Sustainable Menu in your Restaurant with the zero-waste Chef Conor Spacey!
GHG emissions
Food as a whole is responsible for 26% of global greenhouse gas emissions. These are produced throughout the value chain, from animal (52%) and plant production (29%), processing and packaging (9%) and transport and distribution (9%).
Therefore, if we eat more vegetables, buy locally and avoid packaging, we will directly reduce our carbon footprint:
🍒 Eat less red meat and more vegetables Animal products, mainly red meat and dairy products, emit much more GHG than plant-based products. To reduce your environmental impact, you should start adding more legumes, vegetables, and fruits to your diet. You can try these tasty vegetarian recipes at home to start reducing your animal consumption.
🥕 Buy more local products Always read the label on the products and try to buy the option from the closest country. In addition, if you check the season when fruits are growing, it will be more probable that the fruits are not coming from the other side of the planet. Check here the Best in Season calendar.
🍌 Avoid packaging Bring with you a cloth bag and containers to do your shopping and try to avoid the plastic vegetables. It is easier to find non-wrapped vegetables and fruits in your local farmer’s market. They will be tastier and fresher, and you will be supporting your local community! All are advantages.
🌏 We want to finish with some positive data: Ireland was ranked amongst the top performers of the Global Food Security Index (GFSI) developed by Economist Impact. They evaluate food security worldwide across four key pillars, including affordability; availability; quality and safety; and sustainability and adaptation. While it is excellent news that Ireland is ranking in this position for food security, we must always remember there are other countries where food is more a privilege than a human right. There are millions of people around the world suffering from food insecurity and hunger right now. One small contribution we can make to other people’s wellbeing and the planet’s wellbeing, is to abolish food waste at all costs.
More resources
Do you want to learn more about how you can work to reduce your own environmental impact through greener choices? Check out our newly launched 'Green Skills for Life' programme
Or email us on [email protected]
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Thank you for reading today!
The FSG Team 💚
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Who We Are: Fifty Shades Greener
Sustainability with a side of sass!
At Fifty Shades Greener, we’re not your typical sustainability crowd. Here, green isn’t just a color; it’s a lifestyle, and we live it with a bit of cheek and a lot of heart. Our team, a quirky blend of lifelong greenies, seasoned educators, and fresh innovators, believes that every little bit helps and that education is the cornerstone of sustainable change. Born from a simple idea in a hotel’s green team meeting, we've grown into a vibrant community passionate about turning the hospitality world a shade greener. We think greenwashing is as outdated as last season's fashion and are here to ensure sustainability is as authentic as it is actionable. From the early days in Doolin to the bustling workshops of today, our journey has been about making sustainability accessible, understandable, and, dare we say, fun. We don't just throw jargon around; we break it down with practical advice and real-world actions that everyone, from hotel managers to cafe owners, can take. So, whether you’re looking to start your green journey or you're trying to make your business a beacon of sustainability, we’ve got the know-how and the can-do attitude to help you make it happen. And while we’re serious about what we do, we believe a little humor goes a long way. After all, if you can’t have a laugh while saving the planet, when can you? Join us as we continue to write our story, one green step at a time. Here’s to making sustainability not just a necessity, but a norm. Ready to add a little green to your scene? Dive in—the water’s fine, and it’s getting greener by the minute!
