Earth Day 2020: Solving Climate Change Starts At Home

With everything going on in the world, it’s abundantly clear that the need for a compassionate, collaborative, sustainable planet has never been more urgent. Though we can’t currently take to the streets and congregate in community gardens due to social distancing, we don’t have to give up or even slow down our efforts to build the type of planet we want to see. One of the best ways to address climate change is to address food waste, and that’s something all of us can do in our homes today!

That’s right. Addressing food waste is the one of the top three ways we can address climate change. When we waste food, we end up wasting all of the resources that went into growing it. Growing food that goes to waste currently uses 21% of our freshwater, 19% of our fertilizer, and 18% of our cropland. Further, when food ends up in the landfill, it produces methane, a greenhouse gas 23 times as potent as CO2. The rewards for tackling this problem are huge: if we can reduce food waste by 50–75% by 2050, we can reduce our carbon emissions by 10–18 gigatons.

Since over 40% of food waste happens in our homes, we all have the power to make a difference by changing how we shop, store, cook, and dispose of food. By being part of the Imperfect community, you’ve already chosen to take a bite out of food waste by directly investing in a less wasteful and more efficient food system. You’re supporting farmers and food producers across the country by giving them a sustainable way to sell all of what they grow with less waste.

In the spirit of Earth Day, here are some ways you can take action in your home to address food waste and climate change all year long:

• Find new ways to reduce food waste. How you shop for food is only part of the journey toward reducing waste. What you do with ingredients once they’re in your home is the main factor that determines how much waste you create. Respect your food and the work it took to grow it by using everything you buy. Store your ingredients properly to ensure the longest shelf life. Learn the truth about expiration dates so you don’t end up needlessly throwing away packaged foods that are still safe and delicious to eat. Look up new recipes when you’re not sure how to use something. For more inspiration, get tips and tricks by listening to our podcast, following a zero-waste blog, or reading a zero-waste cookbook.
• Learn some new plant-based recipes. Research shows that plant-based meals have a much lower carbon and resource footprint than those based heavily around animal products. This means that vegetarians, vegans, omnivores, and even carnivores have a chance to help our planet by cooking more plant-based meals. Start by planning a #meatlessmonday with some plant-based proteins from your Imperfect order and see where it takes you!
• Use the whole vegetable. You’d never buy a pair of socks or headphones and throw one away when you get home, so why treat vegetables this way? From carrot tops to beet leaves, leek greens to fennel stalks, many of our favorite veggies have delicious parts that we don’t appreciate and throw away instead. Start cooking “root-to-leaf,” make vegetable stock with your scraps, and get a vegetable-centric cookbook in your life and you’ll find yourself eating better, saving money, and reducing waste!
• Start composting. When it comes to our food scraps, where they go makes a huge difference for our environment. When food ends up in a landfill, it decomposes very slowly in a way that produces methane, a harmful greenhouse gas. Do your part by making sure your food scraps become fertile soil instead of greenhouse gases by composting them. There are many ways to compost at home and getting started is easy!

Every little action matters because they add up to necessary change for our planet. This Earth Day and every day, we’re here for you as a resource and ally to help make the sustainable attainable. Climate action starts at home, and we can all work to take a bite out of food waste. This is the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, so let’s make it the most impactful one yet for our community and our planet!