We have to learn about all the food waste that is produced in the entire food system from farm to fork and how we can reduce the volume of the food waste we generate from the previous two posts. However, we have to recognise that some of these are unavoidable. For example, no one is highly wanting to eat orange peels or pineapple leaves. So while we as consumers have the ability to control avoidable food waste, what do we do about unavoidable food waste especially with the rising population globally that leaves more mouths to feed?
This post would highlight some of the possible solutions, some of which are being presently conducted, to resolve this issue by finding treasure among trash. Yes, while the peels, leaves and bones might be inedible food products, they do not necessarily need to become food waste. They can often be ‘repurposed’ or ‘recycled’ to ensure the maximum utilization of these products. By doing so, we are ensuring that the environmental pollution from disposal of food waste is reduced significantly while also ensuring that the energy spent to produce these food products are not wasted, but rather used more efficiently. We can also reduce the pollution impacts in the repurposed functions as energy is conserved when the inputs for these functions are now replaced with food waste.
One such method is commonly practised among those wanting to reduce their food waste: Composting. This refers to the decomposing of one’s organic matter, otherwise considered as waste, to produce soil fertilisers (Masters, 1997). In fact, about 3% of Singaporean households have already adopted this method to reduce their food waste (National Environmental Agency, 2019), but we have to increase this number significantly to see its positive impacts. One of these Singaporeans also included Ms Melissa Leow who we had featured in our previous post and has been composting her food waste for over a decade in her house. There are various types of composting methods, which includes aerobic composting, vermicomposting and bokashi. While the concept of composting might seem rather foreign, you can learn more about it here and try it out on your own in your own household. By doing so, we could reduce up to 70% of your household food waste and about 25% of your paper waste like Faiz Zohri (Wee, 2017). This is a method that solely places the power in the hands of the consumers and we have the agency to make a change in how we contribute to the problem.
We also observe companies that are being formed up that take advantage of this method of composting to help reduce food waste as well. They help to recycle food waste and create a new purpose for this waste as more valuable economical products such as fertiliser and livestock feed. Talk about the cycle of life here and maybe it is just farm to fork, but rather farm to fork to farm? One such company is Insectta, Singapore’s first insect farm. Learn more by watching the video below (MothershipSG, 2019)!
Food waste is not only generated during consumption. In fact, we have uncovered previously how food waste is also generated in the retailing phase or even in the production phase. It is also paramount that we attempt to reduce these food waste channels as well to resolve the problem in a more holistic manner. Remember the orange peels we mentioned earlier. Well, watch what UglyGood does with them (The Business Times, 2019)!
Another of such attempt, in fact, comes closer from home where National University of Singapore researchers have found a new way to recycle pineapple leaves, which is often a waste product of pineapple harvests, into biodegradable aerogels and using them in treating wastewater or preservation of food, resulting in an environmentally friendlier system as well (Lim et al., 2020). Learn about the invention below (National University of Singapore, 2020)!
Today, only 17% of the 763,000 tonnes of food waste produced locally is recycled (National Environmental Agency, 2019). Therefore, our food-obsessed paradise must also learn how to recycle the food waste that we generate to ensure that we remain environmentally sustainable to keep having food to obsess over.
Trailing off,
Jade and Ridzuan
References
Lim, Z.E., Thai, Q.B., Le, D.K., Luu, T.P., Nguyen, P.T.T., Do, N.H.N., Le, P.K., Phan-Thien, N., Goh, X.Y. and Duong, H.M. (2020). Functionalized pineapple aerogels for ethylene gas adsorption and nickel (II) ion removal applications. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, [online] 8(6), p.104524. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2213343720308733?via%3Dihub [Accessed 8 Nov. 2020].
Masters, G.M. (1997). Introduction to environmental engineering and science. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall.
National Environmental Agency (2019). More Consumers Taking Action To Reduce Food Waste; Public Urged To Say ‘No’ To Food Waste This Festive Season. [online] Available at: https://www.nea.gov.sg/media/news/news/index/more-consumers-taking-action-to-reduce-food-waste-public-urged-to-say-no-to-food-waste-this-festive-season [Accessed 22 Oct. 2020].
National University of Singapore (2020). NUS Invention: Eco-aerogels made from pineapple leaf fibres. YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFzQOjLWI0I&ab_channel=NationalUniversityofSingapore [Accessed 8 Nov. 2020].
The Business Times (2019). My SME Story Ep 4: UglyGood. YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXGPndyARRA&ab_channel=TheBusinessTimes [Accessed 8 Nov. 2020].
Wee, L. (2017). More composting to turn food scraps into fertiliser. The Straits Times. [online] Jan 21. Available at: https://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/home-design/composting-gains-fans [Accessed 8 Nov. 2020].
