PITTSBURGH (100.1 FM and AM 1020 KDKA) The Pennsylvania Resource Council (PRC) is launching a new food-related initiative to empower individuals to, "Eat well, save money, and waste less," by implementing practical and easy to follow methods for preventing and reducing food waste.
By identifying that food is the largest stream of material sent to United States' landfills, 40% of which comes from households, the PRC immediately recognized this as a major area of focus.
According to the PRC, the U.S. EPA reports that wasted food accounts for the largest portion of American trash by weight - more than 66 million tons a year. Once all of this wasted food reaches landfills, it produces a powerful greenhouse gas called methane.
“We must address food waste. It is not only an enormous environmental problem but also an important social issue with one in 11 Pennsylvania residents currently experiencing food insecurity,” according to PRC Executive Director Darren Spielman. “Tremendous resources – such as land, water, energy and labor – go into growing, storing, processing, distributing, and preparing food, and it is all squandered when food never reaches the table.”
Due to the alarming rate of wasted food in our region, the PRC has implemented simple strategies that are easy for the common household to follow to help eliminate food waste.
In an effort to notify the community and make their initiative public, the PRC has been active on social media and their website, introducing tasks and procedures to eliminate unnecessary and excessive food waste. These strategies include planning meals out, freezing food before it spoils, eating leftovers, donating excess catered meals, and making shopping lists.
“Our motto for this educational campaign is simply “We can stop food waste one decision at a time” because although it’s a huge global problem, we each can take action every day to stem the tide,” according to PRC Deputy Director Sarah Alessio Shea. “Many small actions can add up to make one big impact. People can eat well, save money and waste less, and our campaign provides a wealth of resources and guidance to point them in the right direction.”
“The first step is to begin noticing how you currently handle food, from what you purchase to what you toss, and then to develop a strategy to address a few large areas for improvement,” says Shea. “You’ll be surprised how easily a little planning, a few new tools and a fresh outlook can set you on the path to reducing the volume of food you waste. PRC is eager to show you how.”
To view PRC’s “Stop Food Waste” materials, visit www.prc.org/food-waste-reduction-prevention, like @pennsylvaniaresourcescouncil and follow @PRC_Litterbug.