Week #4: Term Project Part 2 - Abstract and Detailed Outline SNew Apus
Running Head: ISSUES MANAGING FOOD AND BEVERAGE WASTE OPERATIONS 2
Issues Managing Food and Beverage Waste and Recycling Operations
Mona A. Parker (Gholston)
RLMT 307 D001
American Public University System
Everyday there’s food or beverage waste or loss being produced, whether in a household, grocery food chain, restaurants, or another source. What is the difference in food loss and food waste? Let’s examine a fast-food restaurant like McDonald’s or Burger King, what happens to the food that they have left over from producing too much? If this food is a lost or waste how much does it cost the company when and if that food is thrown in the trash? According to Food Print there is an estimated 43 billion pounds of food wasted in US retail stores in 2010. When you look at numbers like that it gives ill feelings because of all the people that are starving in the world. Waste is produced in many ways i.e., the dinner (fried pork chops, salad, and corn on the cob) from last night. The grease that the pork chops was fried in would be considered waste and what do most do with that waste, either it goes to the trash which goes to the landfill, or it goes down the garbage disposal and the rest of the leftovers is in the trash. If this waste was recycled wouldn’t that protect the environment and maybe recycling what can be recycled could bring a profit into a business. The bottom line is there are issues within the food and beverage industry with waste that are rising every day. Ensuring that the environment and consumers are being taken care of in the best way possible could cost companies a little more money but at least the food waste issues are being addressed.
Keywords: food, waste, loss, environment, issues, household, restaurants
There are millions and millions of food waste and loss that are being produced daily. The restaurants and the average households may be the main culprits for this. Think about all the food that is placed in the trash after dinner or the food that restaurants must throw away due to elapsed time for keeping it due to health safety, during a shift. All of that left over food more than likely will head straight to the dump (the landfill to be politically correct). Have you ever taken the time and thought about all of the consumed foods or beverages that are harmful just due to the production aspect? Probably not back several years ago but now in the present consumers are becoming more health conscious than they have ever been. One of the issues with all these tons of waste going to the landfill is that it effects the environment. The waste piles up and it start at some point giving off gases that are seeping into the environment. On a farm the fertilizers and pesticides that are being used is being absorbed into the soil and waterways combined with the concentrated animal feeding operations also know as factory farms contribute to polluting the soil, and air (Food Print). A second issue with food waste is climate change. The way food is being produced and consumed creates global problems with climate change i.e. droughts, floods, or snow falls (Food Print). The public health is also a problem. Ask yourself why is it a good idea to rinse off the food that is coming from a farmer’s market or a grocery store? The pesticides and the fertilizers that are being utilize can cause health problems over time. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, across the globe, food loss and waste have a combined carbon footprint of 4.4 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide (EPA 2020).
Now that we have a little understanding of the issues that are related to food waste and loss what are some of the solutions to fixing these problems. The first thing that comes to mind is recycling. Recycling can be a positive start not only from the consumers but also from all of the companies and industries that contribute to this waste. Another solution could come from education. Having some flyers that outline instructions on how to get rid of unwanted waste from food. Below is a food recovery hierarchy that the EPA has that also gives solutions on food waste.
The bottom line is that over time food waste is a problem and it will be a larger problem if everyone is not on board with trying to solve the problem and issues that arises from this situation. Education is one of the solutions that will be a start with enlightening consumers on the effect of food waste. There is never just one solution to a problem, but with everyone putting in great efforts to change the problems, the landfills will stop being filled, the environment will become healthier, and it might just help with some of the health issues that arises from the gases that are giving off. The only way to start is by educating ones self on the issues that food and beverage waste may cause.
Reference
Ocicka, B., & Raźniewsk, M. (2018). Food Waste Reduction as a Challenge in Supply Chains Management. LogForum, 14(4), 549–561. https://doi-org.ezproxy1.apus.edu/10.17270/J.LOG.2018.303
2021. Food Waste Is a Massive Problem—Here's Why | Food Print
Environmental Protection Agency (2020). “Food Loss and Waste Fact Sheet.” EPA Food Loss and Waste Fact Sheet