Over 50 Local Officials Call on EPA to Cut Food Waste and Methane Emissions
More than 50 local officials in the United States have united in urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to take action against food waste and the resulting methane emissions. Currently, over one-third of the food produced in the country goes uneaten, leading to significant amounts of methane being generated in landfills. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change, and it has a greater warming potential than carbon dioxide.
The call for action from these local officials comes following two recent reports from the EPA that highlight the extent of America’s food waste problem and the environmental damage it causes. In their letter to the agency, the officials appealed for increased grant funding and technical assistance for alternative landfill solutions. They also emphasized the need for updated landfill standards that require better prevention, detection, and reduction of methane emissions. While scientists possess the technology to address these emissions, implementing effective measures can be challenging due to the rapid breakdown of food waste and subsequent methane production.
Reducing food waste in the United States is an immense challenge that the country previously committed to tackling in 2015. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the EPA set a goal of cutting food waste by 50% by 2030. However, progress has been minimal, according to Claudia Fabiano from the EPA’s food waste management team.
Researchers stress the importance of the EPA reports, which provide critical information about the scale of the problem. One report revealed that a staggering 58% of methane emissions from landfills in the U.S. are attributed to food waste. Given that methane is responsible for a quarter of global warming, addressing this issue is paramount.
Elected leaders and researchers recognize the urgency and hope to take action. However, they acknowledge that it will require not only financial investment but also a shift in public mindset. Farmers may need to alter certain practices, manufacturers must reconsider packaging and marketing of goods, and individuals should find ways to minimize food waste.
To address this issue, the EPA has recently updated its list of preferred strategies for waste reduction. These strategies range from preventing food waste altogether to composting and anaerobic digestion, a process that converts food waste into biogas. Prevention remains the top priority, but the updated ranking offers more nuanced comparisons, enabling communities to determine where to invest their efforts.
However, reducing food waste necessitates a significant psychological and lifestyle shift for individuals. Researchers attribute at least 40% of food waste in the U.S. to households. Weslynne Ashton, an environmental management and sustainability professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology, emphasizes that achieving zero organic waste in landfills is possible but requires proper infrastructure, incentives for households, and commercial institutions.
With the problem now well-defined and quantified, it remains to be seen whether communities and states will receive additional federal support or guidance. The EPA has recently allocated funding from the Inflation Reduction Act, which partly includes resources for organic waste, to support recycling programs. But these initiatives are relatively new.
Some local governments, such as California, have made progress by mandating organic waste collection services starting in 2022. But others still have a long way to go. For instance, Chicago recently initiated a city-wide composting pilot program, but individuals are required to transport their food scraps themselves.
Ning Ai, an urban planning and policy professor at the University of Illinois Chicago, appreciates the report’s emphasis on documenting tradeoffs of environmental impacts and its potential to bolster national waste reduction efforts. Ai suggests that additional specific information tailored to different communities and regions would be beneficial, as preventing food waste may vary in rural and urban areas.
The EPA’s reports have reignited momentum for waste reduction. Moving forward, it is crucial to address this challenge collectively and implement effective strategies to combat food waste and reduce methane emissions.
