Food Emissions and Plastic Waste Notes

Greenhouse gas emissions and plastic waste are significant environmental issues.
This lecture explores the connection between these issues, particularly within the food industry.
The lecture outlines actions to reduce environmental impact related to food.

Food production in the UK accounts for a substantial portion of the nation's greenhouse gas emissions.
- Approximately 20% according to a 2014 study by Scarborough and colleagues in the journal Climatic Change.
- Around 19% according to Tara Garnett from the Centre for Environmental Strategy at the University of Surrey (2008).
The type of food consumed significantly impacts greenhouse gas emissions.

Daisy Dunn from Carbon Brief suggests that adopting a healthy diet could reduce food production emissions by 17% in the UK.
Three main strategies to achieve this reduction:
- Decrease consumption of meat and dairy products.
- Reduce food waste.
- Buy more environmentally friendly crops.

Cows have a significant negative environmental impact.
- They produce methane, a potent greenhouse gas.
- Require substantial grazing land, often leading to deforestation.
- Need crops for feed, necessitating fertilizers and pesticides that release emissions.
Research by Chatham House (2015) indicates that people in developed countries consume excessive red meat.
- Healthy amount: less than 30 kilograms per year.
- Consumption rates: Americans ≈ 90 kg/year, EU ≈ 65 kg/year, China ≈ 50 kg/year.
- High meat consumption contributes to obesity.

Individuals should ensure they consume what they purchase.
Supermarkets should improve stock management to reduce waste.
- Balance: avoid running out of products while preventing excess stock from expiring.
The Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) estimates UK supermarkets waste 10,200,000 tons of food annually.

Consumers should prioritize locally grown and produced food to reduce food miles.
Opt for organically grown food to minimize herbicide and pesticide use.

Plastic packaging and food waste are interconnected issues.
- Example: cucumbers wrapped in single-use plastic sleeves.
- Unrecyclable sleeves contribute to long-term plastic waste.
- Unwrapped cucumbers spoil faster, leading to food waste.
Plastic packaging extends the shelf life of food, reducing overall waste and emissions.

Malt et al. (2018) describe different disposal methods for food waste.
- Best: Donate edible but unsellable food to food banks.
- Next Best: Use food as animal feed.
- Third Best: Anaerobic digestion.
  - Food decomposes in a sealed, oxygen-free tank, producing biogas and biofertilizer.
  - These products are used as fertilizers and a form of natural gas.
- Worst: Landfill disposal.
  - Most household food waste ends up in landfills.
Composting can be used.
- Fruit and vegetable waste, coffee grounds, and eggshells can be composted.
- Decomposition produces high-quality compost for gardening.

Difficult to determine which—plastic pollution from packaging or food waste—is worse.
The exact amount of food saved due to plastic packaging is unknown.
The proportion of food waste disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner is uncertain.

Do not feel guilty about buying food in plastic wrapping, as it increases shelf life.
Avoid non-food items in plastic wrapping.
Consumers can reduce food waste by:
- Buying less food.
- Planning meals carefully.
- Adjusting shopping habits from large weekly shops to more frequent, smaller purchases.