Too much waste

[begreen]

This is somewhat sobering. 40% of our produce never makes it to our houses. This just isn't right. There is so much waste in the system that could feed the poor or at least not be grown so as to reduce our impact on the planet.
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/tons-fresh-produce-dumped-landfills-every-day/

 

[jeffesonm]

I've been trying to buy tasty stuff nearby since there are so many farms.

 

[begreen]

That is a win for the farmer and for you. You get tasty food with much less waste and there are no middlemen.

 

[Knots]

Pigs. At the very least it should get fed to pigs, not put in a landfill.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

A lot of landfills now have composting facilities, but as soon as they put it in plastic bags, they won't go back and separate the trash. Automating that would be a feat

Local small scale producers will generate less waste produce, but they are also less efficient at producing- so you throw out produce, or you use more resources in production

 

[begreen]

There are several brands of compostable trash bags now on the market. But the grocery store level is usually handled by the dumpter load. But first it should be culled for food banks, church free meals, homeless shelters, etc.. Give the decent food away before composting it.

 

[Whitepine2]

There are several brands of compostable trash bags now on the market. But the grocery store level is usually handled by the dumpter load. But first it should be culled for food banks, church free meals, homeless shelters, etc.. Give the decent food away before composting it.

You can't always give to homeless,wife worked for airlines as FA and gave to homeless until
the scum-bag lawyers put a stop to it liability someone might get ill and lawyers step in,so
everything gets dumped what a shame. I hate most lawyers!

 

[Ashful]

You can't always give to homeless,wife worked for airlines as FA and gave to homeless until
the scum-bag lawyers put a stop to it liability someone might get ill and lawyers step in,so everything gets dumped what a shame. I hate most lawyers!

Hating lawyers is like hating guns. They don't shoot themselves, and lawyers are most often just hired hands.

 

[Whitepine2]

Hating lawyers is like hating guns. They don't shoot themselves, and lawyers are most often just hired hands.

I didn't say all lawyers just most. I delt with them for 33 years in law enforcement the last 15
as court officer,only a handful were real lawyers some are real snakes then they become
judges not what you know but who.

 

[sportbikerider78]

Hating lawyers is like hating guns. They don't shoot themselves, and lawyers are most often just hired hands.

Do you mean because guns are tools and so are lawyers?

 

[Ashful]

Do you mean because guns are tools and so are lawyers?

I started with typing those exact words.

 

[begreen]

Back on topic - There are large scale organizations that gather perfectly good food that might otherwise go to a landfill and see that it gets to those in need. Many of these organizations are local and can use support.

http://www.wastedfood.com/food-rescue/
http://www.cityharvest.org/about
http://www.endfoodwastenow.org/index.php/issues/issues-restaurants

 

[Rossco]

It's not just about wasted food thou. It every aspect of waste Managment that needs a revision.

Back in the UK they have land fill tax. £80 a ton or $126US a ton or $155CAD a ton.

Apply and watch what happens down the line.

 

[Knots]

Unfortunately, around here, as the cost of getting rid of things increases, the frequency of people throwing things out by the side of the road does too.

 

[Ashful]

Good point, Knots. Folks set their "we should" perspective, based on their local situation. Unfortunately, good urban solutions become rural problems, and vice versa.

 

[BrotherBart]

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/boston-...-discounted-healthy-food-low-income-families/

 

[begreen]

It is very unlikely that farmers and grocers are going to start tossing their waste on rural streets. That is what the report is about. We all can reduce waste by being a bit more mindful. About 75% of what goes to the landfill doesn't need to. Locally we are working in partnership with the county to start addressing this issue. This is a grassroots effort in the beginning stages and from the bottom up but it is starting to bear fruit.

Folks dumping trash in local ravines is common, sadly. This was true locally even when going to the local dump was for free. Some people are just lazy and incredibly, obtusely disrespectful. I love it when they find a clear ID in this illegal dumping and have the person haul it out.

In the US manufacturers pass the burden of dealing with waste to the taxpayer. Europe has addressed this and has incorporated cradle-to-grave responsibility mandates for manufactured products. It is their responsibility as a company to ensure that what they make is ultimately entirely recyclable.

 

[Ashful]

In the US manufacturers pass the burden of dealing with waste to the taxpayer. Europe has addressed this and has incorporated cradle-to-grave responsibility mandates for manufactured products. It is their responsibility as a company to ensure that what they make is ultimately entirely recyclable.

I was living in Germany in the 1990's, when these laws were passed. A noble idea, but it ain't helping their economy. In any case, call me a taxpayer or a customer... still the same guy paying.

 

[begreen]

That is a much more complex subject. Germany's economy has been pretty strong in spite of the drag of poorer EU nations. More importantly Germans in general feel pretty good about the changes brought about by the Toepfer decree and as a nation they are learning and growing from it. At least they are doing something! In the meantime we are stuck somewhere between Ozzie and Harriet and Mark Hanna.
http://digitalcommons.law.villanova.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1230&context=elj

 

[Grisu]

A noble idea, but it ain't helping their economy.

How come? As a country that imports pretty much all of its oil for example, less plastic wrapping is a good thing.

In any case, call me a taxpayer or a customer... still the same guy paying.

True, the problem is that when buying a product most people don't add to the price how much it will cost to discard it. With the German "green point" system you see those cost right upfront so you can change your purchasing habits accordingly.

Germany's economy has been pretty strong in spite of the drag of poorer EU nations.

Not really "despite any (supposed) drag". Because Germany's economy is so strong but its (real) wages and investment are so low many other European countries are doing so poorly. Or rather, because they have been framed by Merkel, IMF, and co as irresponsible slouches and pushed into asinine austerity.

 

[Ashful]

True, the problem is that when buying a product most people don't add to the price how much it will cost to discard it. With the German "green point" system you see those cost right upfront so you can change your purchasing habits accordingly.

Can't believe I'm going to agree with you, Grisu, but this is a good point.

Happy Fathers Day, everyone!

 

[sportbikerider78]

It is very unlikely that farmers and grocers are going to start tossing their waste on rural streets. That is what the report is about. We all can reduce waste by being a bit more mindful. About 75% of what goes to the landfill doesn't need to. Locally we are working in partnership with the county to start addressing this issue. This is a grassroots effort in the beginning stages and from the bottom up but it is starting to bear fruit.

Folks dumping trash in local ravines is common, sadly. This was true locally even when going to the local dump was for free. Some people are just lazy and incredibly, obtusely disrespectful. I love it when they find a clear ID in this illegal dumping and have the person haul it out.

In the US manufacturers pass the burden of dealing with waste to the taxpayer. Europe has addressed this and has incorporated cradle-to-grave responsibility mandates for manufactured products. It is their responsibility as a company to ensure that what they make is ultimately entirely recyclable.

It all ends up as a higher cost to the purchaser. Who else would pay for it? There is no one else.

Rarely, is the solution, just tax more or to over-regulate. What incentive does a town or city have to find better methods of recycling or waste management?

 

[begreen]

Actually not always so. Cars did not go up dramatically in price when these mandates were instituted in Europe. Food didn't go up dramatically either with the changes in packaging. Smart societies recognize that there is tremendous value in waste. Recycling alone can make a dramatic impact. Seattle leads the nation in recycling and it has not raised the cost of goods here. But it has allowed waste from Seattle to be reduced dramatically which decreases millions of trucking miles, fuel, labor and landfill costs. Organic waste has higher value as fuel and fertilizer.

This is a large topic but here is an example of what typically is tossed out in the garbage.


If we are wise about our waste if may actually save money and create jobs. Take NYC which has to truck and barge it's 24 million tons of garbage daily as far away as Virginia and South Carolina. This is a huge and costly problem.

 

[sportbikerider78]

I think you would find that NYC (just like the rest of NY) already has big recycling programs. I already separate glass, metal, junk and cardboard, which is a great percentage of what you have in your diagram and I live out in the country. We have bottle deposits and you really don't see people throwing trash around. It is pretty clean in comparson to much of the country.

I'm very surprised, we have not see companies spring up that will either pickup for free, or pay to pick up plastic and cardboard stock. It has fuel value and can be burned for electricity.

I would like to see many of these operations privatized too see what unique processes are developed w/o the cities involved.

 

[kennyp2339]

I think you would find that NYC (just like the rest of NY) already has big recycling programs. I already separate glass, metal, junk and cardboard, which is a great percentage of what you have in your diagram and I live out in the country. We have bottle deposits and you really don't see people throwing trash around. It is pretty clean in comparson to much of the country.

I'm very surprised, we have not see companies spring up that will either pickup for free, or pay to pick up plastic and cardboard stock. It has fuel value and can be burned for electricity.

I would like to see many of these operations privatized too see what unique processes are developed w/o the cities involved.

You mean like out west, My sister lives near Seattle and they do free recycling pick up, the only thing is once you start the program you have to separate your trash no matter what, its pretty strict, if you get caught throwing recyclables away in the trash you can get a surcharge.