Sustainable food waste management brings numerous environmental benefits. It is important to realise that those environmental benefits are not just beneficial in a broader sense, but also bring many benefits to your business.
There is a strong business case for eco-friendly food waste management, in addition to it simply being the right, ethical, thing to do.
Environmental Benefits of Sustainable Food Waste Management
The global crises we collectively face, including the climate crisis, biodiversity crisis and waste crisis, all pose immense threats to us as a species, and consequently to all our business endeavors.
Effective and eco-friendly food waste management is a major part of the puzzle when it comes to tackling the global and local problems we face, and forging the future we wish to see.
Reduction in Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Food waste on farms, throughout supply chains, in homes and in landfill contributes to global greenhouse gas emissions.
Proper food waste management can reduce emissions significantly by reducing the need to grow more new food and reducing methane emissions that come from organic matter in landfill sites.
When food waste is converted to energy, it can also help contribute to creating a greener energy system, reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and therefore reducing associated emissions.
Conservation of Water Resources
Another area where food waste management has a positive impact on the environment is when it comes to fresh water.
Fresh water is a precious resource, but unfortunately it is all too often squandered or polluted by harmful food producing and distribution systems. Water can also be polluted by landfill overspill.
Reducing food waste can reduce the massive waste of water in agriculture and in our food chains, and help to keep rivers and oceans clean and clear.
Turning food waste into compost also means that compost can be used in sustainable farming systems, which use less water than intensive monocrop systems.
Preservation of Soil Quality
Managing food waste by turning food scraps into compost also means that we can maintain the health and vitality of the soil.
Soil is far more than just dirt. It contains a complex web of life, and like other land animals, we depend upon that web of life for our own existence. Healthy soil means healthy plants, and healthy plants mean healthy people.
Making compost helps us sequester more carbon dioxide in the soil, and maintaining healthy soil through adding compost and other sustainable approaches such as ‘no till’ farming and growing perennial crops is therefore another way to tackle the climate crisis.
Protection of Biodiversity
Tackling food waste throughout supply chains and at consumer level also helps us to halt staggering biodiversity losses that are occurring.
Plants and animals are disappearing at an alarming rate, in part due to monocrop farming, deforestation and other sorts of habitat destruction. Managing food waste helps with this by reducing overall food consumption and excess demand for certain crops.
Less Pollution
Preventing the waste of food helps to protect the environment from different forms of pollution, to the air, soil and water.
Properly managing food waste reduces pollution associated with non-sustainable farming systems and also helps to prevent pollution that comes from landfill sites where organic matter is often left to decompose.
Healthier Communities
It is also important to remember that a healthy environment and healthy communities go hand in hand. We cannot entirely separate the environmental from the social.
Managing food waste in an eco-friendly and sustainable way often means finding ways to redistribute and donate food to those in need, ensuring that excess ends up where it is needed. This of course has a knock on effect for the food consumption and associated emissions and environmentally friendly practices of the community in question.
Increased Understanding of the Importance of Sustainable Systems
Last but not least, sustainable food waste management can help to draw attention to the issues with local and global food systems, and help people to understand and appreciate the true value in sustainable systems when it comes to the planet, people and profit.
Business Benefits of Sustainable Food Waste Management
In the very broadest of senses, it is important to remember that everything we are and everything we do as humans depends on the natural world around us.
This means that whenever you are doing the right thing for the environment, you are also doing the right thing for humanity, and for your business. Everything is connected.
Here are some of the business benefits that can be derived from sustainable food waste management:
Financial Savings
Sustainable food waste management can save your company money since it can help you spend less money on purchasing, storing and disposing of excess food. Technological methods used to track your inventory, control of portions, and donation programs can help cut unnecessary expenses.
New Revenue Opportunities
Managing food waste sustainably can also potentially help you to monetize excess food, or food scraps from your business, forging profitable partnerships with waste to energy schemes or composting projects.
Regulatory Compliance & Risk Reduction
Businesses that take the time to adopt proper food waste management systems can ensure that they are not falling foul of any federal, state or local regulations. They avoid the risk of incurring any penalties or fines for non-compliance.
Employee Satisfaction
Creating sustainable food waste management systems also makes a big difference for your employees. It can make the workplace more pleasant and boost morale, as workers realize the difference food waste management is making. Employee satisfaction can increase as they realize the good that is being done.
Competitive Advantage
Investors and stakeholders will also be pleased since taking sustainable steps like managing food waste can boost your business sales or allow you to forge new partnerships, giving you an edge over the competition.
Boosted Brand Reputation
Doing the right thing with food waste will also help you boost your brand’s reputation with consumers, who are increasingly looking to do business with sustainable and eco-friendly companies.
Increased Operational Efficiency
Putting the right food management in place can also increase operational efficiencies in your company and may help things run more smoothly, without issues with food waste lying around. Striking up a conversation with a food waste management
Strong Community Relationships
Last but not least, remember that through managing food waste, and redistributing food to those in need, you and your business can forge stronger links and a better connection with your local and wider community, which can have some great knock-on benefits for your business.
It is clear, therefore, that managing food waste in a sustainable and eco-friendly way is a win-win for businesses and the environment.