Waste Not, Want Not

A few months ago, a friend of mine introduced me to the concept of “food diving.” He and I will wait until local businesses close and essentially dumpster dive for food; usually vegetables, fruits, and sometimes bread-related products, that have been thrown out because either a company doesn’t deem it viable over the weekend or uphold the “made fresh everyday” propaganda that many individuals flock to because of its overrated “freshness and quality.”

On our most current expedition, my friend and I suited up in old clothing with gloves, flashlights, and, on my part, a camera. We drove to an organic food distribution center between Osceola and Mishawaka after it closed and suited up before going to work and climbing in the dumpster to uncover what the company had thrown away before closing for the weekend.

My friend and I were both surprised by how lucky we had gotten with the vegetables and fruits that were thrown away that week, ranging from apples and bananas to still fresh kale and romaine lettuce, all of which was organic and not genetically modified. Everything we salvaged is very expensive at any grocery store, including the distribution itself which seemed even more expensive (having been into the company previously to assess pricing.)

If my friend and I are able to find and salvage so much wasted food in the immediate local area, how much food is wasted every day? According to the EPA, out of 250 million tons of waste annually, nearly 14% of that is wasted food that makes it directly into landfills. Separately, “around the world, a staggering one-third of food — or about 1.3 billion tons each year — is wasted…” according to the New York Times and that’s a major problem considering how many individuals are malnourished or suffer from hunger every year.

It doesn’t stop there in regards to how much money and energy is wasted on food production from the farm to the table. The planet is continued to be destroyed and profit is ultimately lost because it’s an unsustainable system for the food individuals consume. And to give some perspective; from the interview on National Public Radio’s “Science Friday,
“over half the land area in the U.S. is dedicated to food production, and over 80 percent of the water that we consume goes into growing our – producing our food. So when we throw out, say, half a hamburger, according to an estimate by the Water Footprint Network, that’s equivalent to taking over an hour shower, in the water use that was required for that half hamburger you just tossed.”

The amount of resources wasted to produce the food individuals consume is alarming and for food to be wasted thereafter on such a grand scale every year is truly sickening. Although, my friend and I try to salvage as much in our local area as we can, there is only so much a few individuals can do alone to potentially reduce the statics of food wasted and help others who do need the food beyond ourselves. When salvaging food from anywhere, my friend and I don’t keep everything for ourselves. He and I are only two individuals, and usually the amount of food salvaged is greater than our means. After dividing-up what we personally will use within a week, we donate some to the homeless shelter and, within a day or two, trade food with other individuals who have done the same elsewhere in the region.

By: Lindsey Kuespert
Special thank you to contributor Andrew Britt.