The USDA and EPA push to reduce food waste at home, but challenges persist

Federal agencies are funding campaigns to help Americans waste less food at home, aiming to cut the 35% of U.S. food that goes uneaten and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from landfills.

Lisa Held reports for Civil Eats.

In short:

U.S. households account for 40% of food waste, leading to significant methane emissions from landfills.
New USDA and EPA campaigns emphasize consumer education and economic incentives to encourage less food waste.
Barriers include lack of effective messaging and confusing expiration date labels, which often cause unnecessary waste.

Key quote:

“I think the first step is having an honest look at what we’re really doing and then recognizing that, ‘You know what? Yeah, I’m wasting food. But I can do better, and I can save money..”

— Lesly Baesens, food waste czar of Denver.

Why this matters:

Food waste contributes to climate change through greenhouse gas emissions from production and decomposition. Reducing waste at home could save money for families while helping to meet national environmental goals.

civileats.com

The USDA and EPA push to reduce food waste at home, but challenges persist

How grand plans to restart oil drilling off Santa Barbara’s coast hit California’s green wall

New Mexico has huge potential for geothermal energy—what will it take to harness it?

Climate change and aging drains wreak havoc on Indian city

A Japanese Pinot Noir town blessed by climate change now worries about the weather

Extreme heat is making toxics even more dangerous to farmworkers, study says

Planet’s first catastrophic climate tipping point reached, report says, with coral reefs facing ‘widespread dieback’

As Trump rants against clean energy, the rest of the world zooms past the U.S.

Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

One facility has emitted cancer-causing chemicals into waterways at levels up to 520% higher than legal limits.

Pennsylvania health advocates say Trump’s first 100 days in office have caused “100 harms” to local communities

“They're terrorizing these scientists because they want to keep them silent.”

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”

Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.