How much food do we waste in Ontario?
You clicked this article because you’re probably feeling…welllll…. a little Sheepish.
Because that’s how we all feel when we:
- Buy too much food.
- Don’t store our food correctly.
- Cook too much of something.
- Forget about the food in the back of the fridge.
- Realize we’re never going to make that dish we wanted to.
Ya, ya. We know. Some types of food waste is unavoidable – like bones, egg shells, and coffee grounds. Yet, the “avoidable food waste” is the type we can do something about – and need to – desperately. So how much food do we waste in Ontario?
We’ve compiled some interesting facts about food waste in Ontario below.
A Kitchen Aid ... of Food Waste
That’s right – a recent study published in 2018 found that on average, Ontario households disposed 5.29 lb/week of food waste in the garbage. Let’s math it out – 5.29 kg * 4.3 weeks in a month equals 22.74 lb / month. That’s the same weight as your Kitchen Aid being tossed into the trash – every month. So the next time you open the trash bin and think “oh, it’s harmless” – it’s not! Because if every household throws out a Kitchen Aid
Food Waste Increases in Spring & Summer
The same study found that urban Ontario households waste significantly more food than rural households during the spring and summer months. What’s up with that? It could be because of the summer BBQ’s, gatherings, and cottage parties happening during these months. Or perhaps that the hotter temperatures cause food to spoil faster. But, whatever it is, it’s concerning. And something we should all be aware of!
A big "chunk" of the waste stream
When conducting a waste audit, researchers often compare multiple types of waste streams, such as paper, plastic, metal, glass, and other materials. According to this study, food waste in Southern Ontario Households makes up 35.4% of the waste stream! A big chunk indeed – and one that needs our attention.
Author
Stephanie Ward
Stephanie started her journey towards a sustainable lifestyle young: at the age of 12, she started a ‘compost bin’ in a margarine container — and left it for her mum to find under the sink many weeks later … Needless to say, her eco-skills have improved since then! A vegan of 10+ years, a staunch animal welfare advocate, and an avid recycler, you’re most likely to find her on a hike, or in the garden.
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3 Different types of food waste
There are different types of food waste that exist.
1) Avoidable: Food that has been thrown away because it was no longer wanted.
2) Possibly Avoidable : Food that some people eat – but others don’t want (e.g. apple peels). These types of food may be eaten depending on how they’re prepared (e.g. Think potato skins!). This can also be food that’s thrown out due to specific criteria like “ugly” carrots.
3)Unavoidable: food that’s not normally edible – like a banana peel or coffee grounds.
What can we do?
There are many ways you can reduce your household food waste.
Check out this blog for more ideas on how to get started.
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