food waste

Turning Over New leaves: Celebrate Food Waste Prevention Week with Composting!

man composting food scraps

It can be challenging to understand the impact our food waste and diet have on our environment. From preserving our foods to planning out our meals there are many steps we can take to reduce our food waste. In honor of Food Waste Prevention Week, April 1- 7, lets dig in to yet another form of food waste reduction: composting! Though composting has often been viewed as difficult or as an advanced way to stop food waste from entering the landfill, Extension offers some beginner friendly tips!

What is Composting?

The Environmental Protection Agency defines composting as the controlled aerobic (with air) biological decomposition of organic materials. The process requires turning over the material to provide air to the bacteria which often produce a smell as they work. For us non-experts, composting is the process of breaking down organic materials, including some of our food waste, at a much faster rate due to the heat of decomposition. West Virginia Extension notes that “when done properly compost can go from start to finish in as little as three months.” At the end of the composting process, you have a rich, smell free, earthy substance referred to as compost, which is great for our gardens and flower beds

How do I get started composting?

 The basics of every compost pile, no matter the size, is to have the correct ratio of green to brown materials. Green materials are rich in the element nitrogen and often refers to grass, food waste, coffee grounds, etc. Brown materials are carbon rich which includes twigs, paper, cardboard, etc. The green to brown materials ratio can vary widely depending on your type of compost, but tips to help you get started are universal.

As you get started, it’s important to look for a few things in your compost:

1. Keep your compost pile wet!

Composting chart

Adding water allows for the decomposition process to avoid those nasty smells and speed up the process. According to the Natural Resource Defense Council, it should feel like a wrung-out sponge!

2. Check the compost temperature!

The larger the pile the hotter the temperatures!! The increasing temperature is what allows your compost to breakdown organic material faster. For the first few days 140 degrees is recommended, but anything beyond 160 degrees produces charring.

3. Be sure to turn over your compost pile!

Air is another vital ingredient to allow your compost to digest. Make sure to turn it once a week over the summer and once every few weeks in the winter.

4. Keep working at it !

It can be challenging to start, but keeping at it is a great way to reduce your food and over all waste

Resources

Bennett, Amanda. 2021 “Composting at Home.” OSU Extension Publishing. Accessed April 2, 2024. https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/hyg-1189-99

Hu, Sheila. 2020. “Composting 101.” What is Composting? Natural Resources Defense Council. https://www.nrdc.org/stories/composting-101.

Morrow, Emily. 2020. “Composting for Beginners.” West Virginia Extension. Accessed April 2,2024. https://extension.wvu.edu/natural-resources/soil-water/composting-for-beginners

United States Environmental Protection Agency. n.d. “Composting at Home.” Accessed September 24, 2021. https://www.epa.gov/recycle/composting-home.

Writer: Ryan Kline, Extension Educator, 4-H Youth Development and Family & Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Ross County, kline.375@osu.edu

Reviewer: Misty Harmon, Extension Educator, Family & Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Perry County, harmon.416@osu.edu

Go Green This Holiday Season

A "Happy Holidays" gift tag on a naturally wrapped gift

The holidays bring many opportunities to “go green” and think about the impact our traditions and activities can have on our environment. Being green doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive, but it often means taking a little extra time to be intentional. Here are four ways to go green over the holidays:

1. Gift Giving
During the holiday season, there is often increased pressure to purchase items that you might normally skip at other times of the year. The social pressure to buy gifts, cards, and miscellaneous “stuff” fuels consumerism and waste. Try to avoid any gifts you purchase from ending up in the landfill. Consider gifting an experience, a homemade consumable product (like bath products or food), a second-hand item, or an eco-friendly product like Swedish dishcloths, reusable water bottles, or glass soap dispensers.

2. Product Packaging
When you purchase an item this holiday season, consider the packaging and challenge yourself to eliminate waste. It turns out, plastic packaging accounts for nearly half of all plastic waste globally, and much of it is thrown away within just a few minutes of its first use. For example, gift cards are popular, but the plastic cards themselves are difficult to reuse or recycle. Go old-school and give cash or checks as a sustainable alternative.

Pink bath salts in a glass mason jar.

3. Gift Wrap
Did you know that in the United States, an additional five million tons of waste is generated over Christmas, four million of which is wrapping paper and shopping bags? Newspaper, butcher paper, reusable boxes, metal tins, and paper gift bags are creative and sustainable ideas for gift wrap. Choosing these materials helps to keep traditional gift wrap, bows, and ribbons from ending up in the landfill.

4. Holiday Traditions
Holiday cards, party invitations, decorations, hosting, and food can take a serious toll on our environment. Large gatherings can mean single-use plates, utensils, cups, and napkins. Avoid or reduce this waste by choosing reusable products. Uneaten food becomes food waste, so use the interactive guest-imator to plan how much food you really need at your gathering. Finally, if you decorate with a live tree, look for opportunities to reuse or recycle your tree and keep it out of the garbage. Your tree can be used for mulch, to protect fish in lakes, or to provide shelter for birds.

Looking for more green ideas? Visit the OSU Extension Sustainability website to find tip sheets, videos, and a 3-D Sustainable Home Tour.

Written by Laura Stanton, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, OSU Extension, Warren County. Email: stanton.60@osu.edu.

Reviewed by Jenny Lobb, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, OSU Extension, Franklin County.

References:

Garber, M. (2012, December 22). Wrappers’ delight: A brief history of wrapping paper. The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/12/wrappers-delight-a-brief-history-of-wrapping-paper/266599

Mansfield, S. (2022, December 22). Green your holiday this season. United States Environmental Protection Agency. https://www.epa.gov/perspectives/green-your-holiday-season

The National Christmas Tree Association (n.d). How to recycle and give real Christmas trees a second life. https://realchristmastrees.org/all-about-trees/how-to-recycle

Stanton, L. M. (2022, July 19). It’s time to rethink packaging and recycling. Ohio State University Extension. https://livehealthyosu.com/2022/07/19/its-time-to-rethink-packaging-and-recycling

Zee, G. (2022, December 7). Plastic gift cards on climate advocates’ “naughty list” this Christmas. ABC News. https://abc13.com/plastic-gift-cards-christmas-gifts-pvc-toxic/12534016

Photo Credits:
Natural wrapping image by rawpixel.com.
Mason jar with bath salts image by Victoria Emerson, pexels.com

Waste Less Food

a plate of food scraps arranged to spell "love food hate waste"

Did you know that food waste takes up more space in our landfills than anything else? According to the 2018 Wasted Food Report from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), food waste accounts for 24% –almost a quarter – of all municipal solid waste sent to landfills. The majority of this food waste comes from consumers and households. As such, the EPA has created a Food Recovery Hierarchy to prioritize strategies to reduce food waste. This hierarchy follows the 3 Rs of solid waste reduction: reduce, reuse, and recycle. Source reduction, or reducing the volume of surplus food generated, is the most preferred strategy, followed by feeding hungry people, feeding animals, using food for industrial purposes (all ways to reuse food), and composting (recycling). Sending food to the landfill or to be incinerated is the least preferred waste reduction strategy.

So, what can you as a consumer do to reduce the amount of surplus food you generate?

  • Shop your fridge first and use the ingredients you have on hand before they spoil.
  • Plan your meals and shop using a list of needed ingredients to avoid buying excess.
  • Learn how to read food labels and don’t misinterpret expiration dates on food that is perfectly good to eat.
  • Store food properly, keeping your refrigerator at or below 40 degrees F and your freezer at or below 0 degrees F. Make sure to chill perishable foods and leftovers properly by refrigerating or freezing them within 2 hours of being out at room temperature, and consume them within days. Store fruits and vegetables separately in moisture-proof bags and wash them just prior to use. Know which fruits and vegetables to store in the refrigerator and which ones to leave out.
  • Use an app like the USDA’s Food Keeper to help keep track of what is in your fridge and when it needs to be used.

To learn more about food waste, test your knowledge with this quiz from the Save More than Food campaign or watch this video featuring Ohio State University Professor Brian Roe. 

Watch the video on YouTube to view the text transcript.

Written by Jenny Lobb, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, OSU Extension Franklin County.

Reviewed by Laura Stanton, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, OSU Extension, Warren County.

Sources:

Werling, R. & Nwadike, L. (2020). Working Together to Reduce Food Waste. Kansas State University. https://bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/pubs/MF3482.pdf

United States Environmental Protection Agency (2022). Sustainable Management of Food. https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-management-food

United States Environmental Protection Agency (2020). 2018 Wasted Food Report. https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2020-11/documents/2018_wasted_food_report.pdf

Consider Environmentally Friendly New Years Resolutions

Picture of Trash

I can remember growing up in Michigan in the 70s and 80s, we would get our first snowfall around Thanksgiving, and we wouldn’t see grass until late March. Every year here in southern Ohio, it seems the idea of a white Christmas is a thing of the past. The past decade has seen the warmest average temperatures on record. Climate experts paint an ominous picture for our planets’ future and our overall quality of life. Issues such as plastic pollution and food waste contribute to climate warming and also immediate wellbeing.

If you are looking to set a New Years resolution, consider some ideas that are eco-friendly. Here are a few ideas:

  • Buy and use reusable straws. Keep them on hand and refuse single use straws at restaurants.
  • Stop using single use plastic bags. Keep reusable bags in your cars so you don’t forget them when running into the grocery store.
  • Freeze left overs and use ingredients later in smoothies, soups, etc.
  • Start a compost pile for food waste. Keep an old coffee bin in the kitchen to discard food scraps.
  • Start using bar soap or refill soap containers to avoid purchasing plastic bottles.
  • Reuse glass jars, Tupperware, and beeswax wrap to store food and leftovers instead of single use plastic sandwich bags.
  • Refill a reusable water bottle instead of buying bottled water.
  • Participate in a neighborhood clean up or roadside garbage pick up.

These are just a few ideas. Small changes can really add up over a lifetime. The actions of millions of people can can collectively reduce the amount of plastic and food going into landfills and contributing to climate change.

Author: Dan Remley, Ph.D., M.S.P.H. Associate Professor, Field Specialist, OSU Extension

Reviewer: Jenny Lobb, M.P.H., Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, OSU Extension

Sources:

Beyond Plastics. (2021). THE NEW COAL: PLASTICS AND CLIMATE CHANGE. REPORT: The New Coal: Plastics & Climate Change — Beyond Plastics – Working To End Single-Use Plastic Pollution

Ohio State University Extension. Sustainable Action through Video Engagement (S.A.V.E.). Sustainability in the Kitchen. Left-overs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlDXy80yraY

Ohio State University Extension. Sustainable Action through Video Engagement (S.A.V.E.). Sustainability in the Kitchen: Single Use Plastics https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CangcvETxk

Ohio State University Extension. Sustainable Action through Video Engagement (S.A.V.E.).Composting. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lOMPTRj7eE