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California is trading food landfills for composted green energy

Credit: Wired
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London, UK
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Next month, a new mandatory food waste recycling program will be implemented in California. All food scraps will be collected from homes by the state, then composted or turned into renewable energy.

New years’ resolutions are typically personal goals we set to try to get a little closer to being the best version of ourselves. But the state of California is introducing a new law for its residents starting in 2022 – and this time it’s for the wellbeing of our planet.

The agriculture industry is hugely responsible for global warming. This year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that discarded food is responsible for 15 percent of the America’s total methane gas emissions.

Though global methane emission levels are lower than the level of carbon emissions, the gas is a particularly potent short-term contributor to climate change. In their first 20 years in the atmosphere, methane particles warm up the planet 80 times more than carbon dioxide does.

A shocking 40 percent of food produced in America goes to waste each year – and when organic matter like fruit peels, meat bones, and vegetables scraps are thrown out, they emit methane gas as they naturally decompose inside garbage landfills.

At COP26, The European Commission Chief called methane β€˜the lowest hanging fruit’ in the fight to lower global greenhouse emissions. In other words, if we figure out ways avoid emitting these powerful particles, we could buy ourselves time to slow the progress of our rapidly warming world.

California is jumping the gun, setting out a mandatory state-wide food recycling program, which will come into effect in January. The new law, first drawn up in 2016, will affect nearly 40 million homes state-wide.

Once the properly disposed food waste is collected from residential homes, it will be repurposed as farming compost or turned into renewable energy called biogas.

Along with this new system, supermarkets in California will be required to donate their excess food in January – with hotels, restaurants, hospitals, schools, and event venues following suit by 2024. The west side state is only the second in America to implement a program like this, after Vermont introduced a similar scheme last year.

Around the globe, countries are taking similar steps to tackle the issue of food waste. For example, members of the European Union outlined a plan to halve its total food waste within the next decade, in line with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

In Portugal and China, national campaigns have been launched to teach residents about reducing food waste and to encourage behavioural changes when it comes to food consumption.

Way ahead of the game, South Korea and Japan have had strict food recycling laws for over a decade. Both countries turn 95 percent of their food waste into organic compost or renewable energy.

Considering a third of all food produced worldwide is discarded due to being uneaten or spoiled (and changing habits of everyday consumers would be near impossible), implementing wide-scale recycling programs can make a huge reduction in global greenhouse emissions.

It looks like methane really is the β€˜lowest hanging fruit’ in the fight against climate change, so we hope to see more nations set up similar systems in the upcoming year.

Senior Writer & Media Coordinator London, UK

I’m Jessica (She/Her). Originally from Bermuda, I moved to London to get a Master’s degree in Media & Communications and now write for Thred to spread the word about positive social change, specifically ocean health and marine conservation. You can also find me dipping my toes into other subjects like pop culture, health, wellness, style, and beauty. Β Follow me on Twitter, LinkedIn and drop me some ideas/feedback via email.

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