Cookbook authors have a new reason to revive the old kitchen wisdom of “waste not, want not”: the future of the planet.
Eliminating food waste has become the latest culinary step in reducing emissions. This isn’t hyperbole. In the United States alone, 30% to 40% of the food supply is wasted each year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
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More than 125 billion pounds of uneaten food ends up in U.S. landfills each year. A quartet of cookbook authors help readers eat well and reduce food waste with commonsense approaches.
That’s more than 125 billion pounds of food a year that goes uneaten, according to some estimates. Further, if waste ends up in plastic bags bound for the landfill, it could take decades to break down. The methane gas that builds up from such food waste contributes to rising global temperatures.
So what can a home cook do? This season’s roundup of cookbooks provides tips, encouragement, and tasty recipes to inspire new mindfulness in the kitchen.
The old proverb “Waste not, want not” has renewed meaning and urgency in the kitchen, as more cookbook writers emphasize a key reason for reducing kitchen waste: the future of the planet.
Beyond eating local and in-season produce, eliminating food waste has become the latest culinary step in reducing emissions. This isn’t hyperbole. In the United States alone, 30% to 40% of the food supply is wasted each year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That’s more than 125 billion pounds of food a year that goes uneaten, according to some estimates. Further, if waste ends up in plastic bags bound for the landfill, it could take years to break down.
A head of lettuce in a garbage sack, for instance, could linger as a glob of slime through the time it takes a child to grow and graduate from college. The methane gas that builds up from such food waste contributes to rising global temperatures.
Why We Wrote This
A story focused on
More than 125 billion pounds of uneaten food ends up in U.S. landfills each year. A quartet of cookbook authors help readers eat well and reduce food waste with commonsense approaches.
In October, government officials from 18 U.S. states urged the Environmental Protection Agency to phase out food waste disposal in landfills by 2040. At this year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference, which runs Nov. 30 through Dec. 12, food waste will be a priority.
So, what can a home cook do? This season’s roundup of cookbooks provides tips, encouragement, and tasty recipes to inspire new mindfulness in the kitchen.