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As part of a continuing effort to combat food waste and its impact on climate change, we are thrilled to announce the expansion of Washington County's Food Scraps Pickup Program to 19 new communities this fall! Starting October 1st, 2024, residents of Afton, Bayport, Baytown Township, Birchwood, Dellwood, Denmark Township, Grant, Lake Elmo, Lake St. Croix Beach, Lakeland Township, Lakeland Shores, Mahtomedi, Oak Park Heights, Pine Springs, St. Mary's Point, Stillwater, Stillwater Township, West Lakeland Township, and Willernie will be eligible to sign up for this free and convenient service.
With this significant expansion, over 82% of Washington County households will now have access to the Food Scraps Pickup Program, with full coverage planned in the coming years. This initiative is part of a broader effort to reduce waste, conserve resources, and lower greenhouse gas emissions.
How the Food Scraps Pickup Program Works
Starting this fall, residents in eligible communities can sign up to receive a free supply of food scrap bags. When food scraps accumulate, simply tie a single knot at the top of the bag and place it inside your trash cart or dumpster for collection. The collected scraps will then be composted, reducing landfill waste and creating nutrient-rich compost for gardens and farms. A postcard with detailed information on how to sign up will be sent to all eligible households.
Why Reducing Food Waste Matters
Food waste is a major environmental challenge. Today, an estimated one-third of all the food produced globally is wasted — a staggering 1.3 billion tons of fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy, seafood, and grains. This wasted food could provide enough calories to feed every undernourished person on the planet.
However, food waste isn't just a social or humanitarian concern—it's a significant environmental issue. When we waste food, we also waste the energy and water used to grow, harvest, transport, and package it. Food waste that ends up in landfills produces methane, a greenhouse gas far more potent than carbon dioxide. 6-8% of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions could be eliminated if we stopped wasting food. In the U.S. alone, the production of wasted food generates the equivalent of 32.6 million cars’ worth of greenhouse gas emissions annually.
The Stark Reality of Food Waste in America
America leads the world in food waste, discarding nearly 60 million tons—or 120 billion pounds—of food annually. This amounts to almost 40% of the entire U.S. food supply, equating to approximately 325 pounds of waste per person each year. To put that in perspective, that’s like every person in America throwing away 975 average-sized apples directly into the garbage. Food waste is now the single largest component of U.S. landfills, accounting for 22% of all municipal solid waste.
The economic repercussions are also staggering, with food waste costing the U.S. an estimated $218 billion annually—the equivalent of 130 billion meals. Reducing food waste could significantly impact both the environment and the economy.
Understanding Why We Waste So Much Food
One of the primary reasons for the immense amount of food waste in America is confusion over food expiration labels. Over 80% of Americans discard perfectly good food due to misunderstandings of terms like “sell by,” “use by,” “expires on,” and “best before.” This confusion, combined with a culture of abundance where food is relatively inexpensive and readily available, often leads to over-purchasing and wasteful habits. Furthermore, many Americans have not integrated practices like composting into their daily routines, contributing to the growing problem of food waste filling our landfills.
Fighting Climate Change by Preventing Food Waste
As our global population continues to grow, the challenge isn't necessarily how to grow more food but how to feed more people while wasting less. Thankfully, there are many actions we can take to make a significant difference at the consumer level. Composting food scraps is one effective solution that keeps inedible scraps out of landfills, reducing methane emissions and returning valuable nutrients to the soil., an estimated one-third of all the food produced globally is wasted — a staggering 1.3 billion tons of fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy, seafood, and grains. This wasted food could provide enough calories to feed every undernourished person on the planet.
However, food waste isn't just a social or humanitarian concern—it's a significant environmental issue. When we waste food, we also waste the energy and water used to grow, harvest, transport, and package it. Food waste that ends up in landfills produces methane, a greenhouse gas far more potent than carbon dioxide. In fact, 6-8% of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions could be eliminated if we stopped wasting food. In the U.S. alone, the production of wasted food generates the equivalent of 32.6 million cars’ worth of greenhouse gas emissions annually.
As our global population continues to grow, the challenge isn't necessarily how to grow more food but how to feed more people while wasting less. Thankfully, there are many actions we can take to make a significant difference at the consumer level. Composting food scraps is one effective solution that keeps inedible scraps out of landfills, reducing methane emissions and returning valuable nutrients to the soil.
Here are a few other ways you can help reduce food waste and fight climate change:
Plan Your Shopping: Plan meals, make a shopping list, and stick to it. Avoid buying more than you need, especially perishables.
Use Your Freezer: Freeze foods like bread, meat, and vegetables before they spoil to extend their shelf life.
Be Creative with Leftovers: Use apps or websites like Big Oven, Supercook, or MyFridgeFood to find recipes that use ingredients you already have.
Repurpose Overripe Produce: Fruits and vegetables that are past their prime can still be used in smoothies, soups, sauces, or baked goods.
Get Involved: Join the Food Scraps Pickup Program
Joining the Food Scraps Pickup Program is an easy way to make a positive impact:
Order your free annual supply of food scrap bags from foodscrapspickup.com.
Collect your food scraps in the provided bags.
Tie a single knot at the top of the bag once it’s full.
Place the bag in your trash cart or dumpster for collection.
The food scraps will be collected and composted, turning what would have been waste into a valuable resource.
Together, we can make a significant impact in reducing food waste and building a more sustainable future. Join the program today, and let's work toward a healthier, more resilient community!
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