Globally, about a third of food is wasted. In the United States, it’s even higher, at 40%. California and some others have passed laws requiring food waste to be composted while others including New York require supermarkets and other businesses to redirect food to food pantries. They argue it saves landfill space, cuts methane emissions and also gives poor families more choices. New York says it already has recycled or donated 5 million pounds of leftover food.
A growing number of states are working to keep food out of landfills over concerns the waste is taking up too much space and posing environmental problems. Globally, about a
US States Recycle and Donate Food Headed to Landfills voanews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from voanews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
When Sean Rafferty got his start in the grocery business, anything that wasn t sold got tossed out. But on a recent day, Rafferty, the store manager for ShopRite of Elmsford-Greenburgh in New York, prepared boxes of bread, donuts, fresh produce and dairy products to be picked up by a food bank. It s part of a statewide program requiring larger businesses to donate edible food and, if they can, recycle remaining food scraps.
New York is among a growing number of states targeting food waste over concerns it is taking up diminishing landfill space and contributing to global warming as meat, vegetables and dairy release the greenhouse gas methane after being dumped in a landfill. Rescuing unwanted fruits and vegetables, eggs, cereals and other food also helps to feed hungry families.