Dear Editor,
I expect I’m not alone in having one thought lead to another that has been lingering quietly in the back of my mind. Lately, I’ve found myself preoccupied with food waste, and I recently happened to watch Stanley Kramer’s 1960 film “Inherit the Wind.” If you’re not familiar, it’s a fictionalized version of the 1925 Scopes “Monkey” Trial, with Spencer Tracy as the defense attorney sparring with the prosecutor, played by Frederick March — a debate between Darwinism and Creationism.
I regard the film’s central moral as being the paramount importance of open-mindedness and how limiting thought too often stifles the adoption of new ideas. With that in mind, I began considering a variety of limiting thoughts and misconceptions that hinder efforts to reduce food waste.
Some examples: • Food waste at home is only a small part of the problem. In reality, households are a primary source of food waste in developed countries, often generating the majority of total waste.
• Wasted food in landfills is fine because it’s organic and will decompose into nutrients. When food rots in landfills, it produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas that significantly contributes to climate change.
• Expiration dates indicate the food is unsafe to eat after that date. Most date labels (“best if used,” “sell by”) refer to peak quality, not safety. Confusion over these labels contributes to massive amounts of edible food being thrown away.
• Individual actions don’t matter. Every person’s role in waste management is crucial. Cumulative individual actions have a significant impact and can lead to substantial reductions in waste and fiscal savings. Overcoming such limiting misconceptions requires increased awareness, education, and systemic changes that can make sustainable choices more convenient and economically viable. With the city of Madison examining how to eliminate non-essential spending best, now may be the right time to restructure and streamline how we best manage the waste we produce.
By definition, waste means to use or expend carelessly, extravagantly, or to no purpose. Waste is a community issue. Through collective intentionality, we can reduce the volume of compostable waste sent to landfills and food waste in general — both laudable goals.
Peter Wibell, Rutledge