The State of Oregon and the City of Tualatin are joining others across the country in Food Waste Prevention Week from April 1st to April 7th. This national effort features activities to raise awareness about the problem of wasted food and provide resources that inspire people to reduce food waste at home, work, and in their communities.
Throughout this week, we are encouraged to find ways to reduce food waste. Finanically, reducing food waste saves households hundreds of dollars each year (according to the Natural Resource Defense Council, a family of four can save about $1,500 per year by eliminating food waste). Environmentally, organic waste like food is a primary source of methane from landfills, a potent greenhouse gas. Reducing food waste is the #1 personal action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while safeguarding critical natural resources.
This week is about preventing food from becoming waste. Even though there are climate benefits from composting and keeping food and organic materials out of landfills, we’ve still wasted all of the water, energy, and land that went into producing, transporting, cooling, processing, and storing the food at every other step of the food supply chain. It also hurts our wallets. Who likes to throw out food that they spend hard-earned money on?!
What can you do this week to learn more and take action? Visit www.foodwastepreventionweek.com and www.dontletgoodfoodgobad.org to access food storage (and money saving!) tips, informational webinars, student art contests, cooking challenges, scorecards, and more. You can also use the bingo card printed here in Tualatin Life to play along this week!
