The Lifecycle of Food Waste: Concordia Lexington Summit

Earlier this month, Rubicon’s Director of Circular Economic system Answers, Ryan Cooper, experienced the probability to converse at Concordia’s 2022 Lexington Summit in Lexington, Kentucky. He was joined by co-panelists Ryan Quarles of the Kentucky Office of Agriculture, Maggie Lyons, Handling Director of AgTech and Customer Merchandise Small business Unit for SAS Institute, and the session moderator, Concordia’s possess Hanne Dalmut.

The discussion centered on the development of our nation’s food waste, the steps that enterprises can take to minimize its accumulation, and the techniques to extend education and learning bordering this difficulty. For anyone searching to enjoy the dialogue in its entirety, it can be discovered on Concordia’s YouTube channel, or underneath:

All through the session, Ryan Quarles said that practically 40 percent of geared up foodstuff go to waste in the United States, two times as a great deal as in the 1970s. This translates to each individual particular person wasting around 20 lbs . of meals for each month, incurring once-a-year costs of $1,500 per family, or close to $160 billion in full each individual 12 months. Globally, the price tag of food squander is $2.6 trillion, according to the Foods and Agriculture Corporation (FAO) of the United Nations.

Quarles also spoke about his department’s initiatives in encouraging businesses to donate surplus foodstuff alternatively than throw it away. Lots of supermarkets will discard meals products because they have blemishes or imperfections that make them considerably less probable to provide, when in reality they are correctly edible.

Rubicon’s have Ryan Cooper also urged companies to alter their packaging from plastic wraps or containers to one thing that is accredited compostable. This way if the foodstuff does require to be thrown out, the complete product can go to a food squander facility with out the have to have to stress about contamination.

Cooper also spoke about increasing instruction about the concern of food squander, and how we have the opportunity to instill these teachings in youngsters from an early age both at residence and at university. Lots of individuals are not completely knowledgeable of the suggestions for when their food is no for a longer time risk-free to try to eat, observed Cooper, and for the reason that of this, they frequently finish up throwing edible foodstuff away.

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Holding foodstuff squander out of landfills is vital for the health of our ecosystem. If you have any concerns, or you’re fascinated in mastering a lot more about Rubicon’s sustainability choices, make sure you get to out to sustainability@rubicon.com.

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