By Shruti Srivastava, Ananya Joshi, Shikha Shah & Kaushik Kumar
Are we all really wasting so much food that it needs a discussion?
Food waste is one of the most serious environmental and social issues in today’s world. It happens at all stages, from growing and transporting food to selling, cooking, and eating it.
Millions of tonnes of edible food waste every year contributes to climate change, economic loss and hunger.
A report of United Nations Food Waste Index estimates that Indian household wastes 78.2 million tonnes of food every year despite India having the world’s largest hunger-population.
61% of our national food waste occurs in households, equivalent to a whopping 55 kilograms of food wasted per person per year.
In 2022, the global food wastage was approximately 1.05 billion tonnes which combined all the sectors i.e. household, food service and retail. Of this waste the households were responsible for about 631 million tonnes which made up the major proportion of the total waste. On an average each person globally wasted 79 kilograms of waste annually. The report indicates that the average household waste in India was 55 kilograms per person per year in 2022 with Maldives being at the top with 207 kilograms per person per year of waste.
Is food waste a problem?
Food loss and waste account for 8-10% of annual global greenhouse gas emissions which cost USD 1 trillion per year. This also comes as a paradox, as we produce enough food to feed every human being, which the planet holds by about 1.5 times. But despite that, over 735 million people face chronic hunger in 2023 (FAO). Which entails that the issue isn’t lack of food but proper distribution and wastage. Each grain holds the energy that can be passed down to the food web, and this becomes redundant when we waste it.
When food waste is mixed with landfill it leads to severe environmental damage. Food waste disrupts the natural nutrient cycles in the soil in such areas, contributing to biodiversity loss, and also strains the planetary boundaries pertaining to land, water, and atmospheric systems. One of the biggest issues is methane production, as food waste decomposes anaerobically (without oxygen), releasing methane, a greenhouse gas 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide in trapping heat. While Methane remains in the atmosphere for only about 12 years, but over a 20-years period, it traps 80 times more heat than carbon dioxide, making its short-term impact extremely dangerous, causing the rise in human induced global warming.
Can food waste be managed easily?
Yes, it can be managed with little mindfulness. Here are few simple things to do.
• Buy limited food that fulfils your need. Stop stocking up extra perishable grocery in your refrigerator
• Cook only as much as you and your family can eat
• Try to order only required food from online food delivery apps
• Feed leftovers to street animals or reuse it innovatively to make new products
• After all practices, if food waste is still happening, then start composting
What is composting?
Composting is a natural process that breaks down organic materials into a soil-like substance called compost. This process is carried out by microorganisms such as actinobacteria, fungi, thermophilic bacteria, insects and worms, that decomposes the organic matter present in the waste into rich humus, under the right condition of oxygen, moisture and temperature. Humus is the most crucial part of soil organic chemistry, supporting trillions of living organisms and in turn helps the flora to grow healthy.
Composting helps in mitigating multiple challenges at the same time, by reducing waste, enriching soil and minimizes the environmental impact of organic waste in landfills.
What is Compost?
Compost is rich in humus, nutrients and can be used to improve soil structure and health, eventually helping the plants.
The compost pile is usually made of a mixture of green organic materials like food scraps, garden trimmings or fresh manure and “brown” organic materials like dead or dry leaves, cardboard and wood chips.
Compost can be mixed into normal soil to help plants, flowers and crops grow faster and stronger. Instead of buying fertilizer, we can make it for free at home or at school.
Composting is devoid of chemical amendments which means we can avoid all of the harmful chemicals to reach the soil which may help in short run but will have sharp long-term consequences on the health of the humans & the environment.
It’s also an easy way to help slow climate change and keep our drinking water and aquatic environment safe and clean.
How to do composting?
Some easy composting techniques that can be done at home are described below:
Bin Composting
Step 1- Take 15-20 liters container/Bucket and find a suitable corner which is warm, little shady & moist.
Step 2- Make a hole in the base of container the and some holes on all the sides.
Step 3- Spread the first layer with gravels for proper drainage and to prevent clogging off the bottom. Then spread a layer of browns like dry leaves, paper or natural browns like grass straw, sawdust, etc.
Step 4- Spread the second layer of garden soil (mud)
Step 5- Now, add food scraps like vegetable peels, and fruit peel to the bin.
Step 6- Repeat step 3, step 4 and step 5 in alternate layers respectively, till we reach the topmost level.
Step 7- Sprinkle water at last and top the final layer with some soil to avoid smell as it decomposes.
Step 8- Cover the bin.
Pit Composting
Step 1- Dig a hole of approx. 10-15 inches deep (width as per your requirement)
Step 2- Spread the first layer with gravels for proper drainage and to prevent clogging off the bottom. Now, spread the layer of browns like dry leaves or any natural browns like grass straw, sawdust, etc.
Step 3- Spread the second layer of garden soil (mud)
Step 4- Now, add food scraps like vegetable peels, fruit peels to the bin.
Step 5- Repeat step 3, step 4 and step 5 respectively until we reach slightly above the ground level.
Step 6- Sprinkle water at last and cover it with thin layer of soil to avoid smell & pest infestation.
Step 7- Cover the pit with food container cover or jute bag sacks which can be dampened when needed.
How long it takes and what does it look like?
Bin or pit composting can take anywhere between one to six months depending on the materials used, the size of the pile, and how often it is turned.
Bin composting is relatively easier, tidier and faster as compared to pit composting.
Natural compost is ready when it has cooled, turned a rich brown color, has no foul odour and has decomposed into small soil-like particles.
Benefits of Composting:
1. Reduces greenhouses gases: Studies have shown that composting organic waste instead of landfilling can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 50%.
2. Improves soil health: With composting, the organic contents of the soil get enhanced which results in improved water retention. Studies have shown that each 1% increase in soil organic matter allows the soil to hold each 20,000 gallons of water per acre. This not only helps in plant growth but also reduce the need for frequent irrigation contributing to sustainable agriculture.
3. Waste diversion potential: Composting serves as an effective method for diversion of organic waste from landfills. For example: In 2019 in US 66.2 million tons of wasted food was generated out of which only 5% of that wasted food was used for composting. This figure suggests that there is a crucial need to increase composting efforts and reduce landfill dependency.
4. Economic Advantage: Implementing composting programmes can lead to several economic benefits. For example: Projections suggests that by increasing composting by 2030 US could reduce carbon emissions by 30 million tons annually and save approximately $16 billion in municipal waste management costs.
5. According to ICAR, which is the apex body for agricultural research, it has been reported that more than 30% of India’s soil is degraded, with widespread deficiencies in organic carbon and essential micronutrients for plants like zinc and boron. Composts in such scenario can restore the soil health by adding organic matter, improving moisture retention, and boosting microbial activity in the soil rhizosphere.
6. India alone produces around 3 million tonnes of cow dung daily as it is the home for maximum number of cattle in the world. But much of these are wasted instead of being converted into manure, which can be added back to the soil.
7. Crop residues and food waste, if composted instead of burned, can significantly reduce the use of costly chemical fertilizers, reducing the farming costs, improve yield quality, and by making farming in India more sustainable.
Community Composting
Community composting is a collaborative approach to recycling organic waste, such as food scraps and yard debris, into nutrient-rich compost. It involves a group of people or organizations working together to manage composting efforts within a community.
This process helps reduce waste sent to landfills, promotes environmental sustainability, and creates valuable compost for gardening or landscaping.
According to the Indian Ministry of Urban Development, effective community composting can help reduce the urban municipal solid waste by up to 30%, easing landfill pressure, government expenditure in cleaning them and most importantly the public health costs.
Few Success stories of Community Composting from India:
• Mana Shah from Mumbai have transformed segregated organic waste of 96 flats of Lok Nirmal Heights into nutrient rich compost for free.
• Rahib Kolsawala and Abhishek convert organic waste into compost for farmers in Rajasthan, showcasing how composting can be a profitable and sustainable business.
• Through talks, demonstrations and even over teas at her home, 89-year-old Sudha Pai has been working tirelessly to influence people in Pune to compost their waste.
• We at ScrapShala through our DIY workshops and community initiatives have been educating individuals, groups and organization about composting and sustainable waste management, all over India.
• ‘Compostwali’ Late Poonam Bir Kasturi from Bengaluru has been helping India in managing its wet waste effectively by teaching the art of composting through her initiative Daily Dump
Turn your Spoil into Soil from today
Composting is a simple and powerful way to reduce waste, enrich soil, and contribute to a healthier planet. By turning organic waste into useful nutrient-rich compost, we not only minimize landfill pollution but also support sustainable agriculture and gardening. It can be done on a small scale at home or through large community efforts, composting helps close the loop in nature’s cycle, reducing the need for chemical fertilizers and lowering greenhouse gas emissions.
Embracing composting as a daily habit fosters environmental responsibility and promotes a more sustainable future for generations to come. It’s not just about fixing the present problems but also ensuring they’re mitigated even for future.
Sources:
https://www.compostingcouncil.org/page/CompostBenefits
https://wedocs.unep.org/handle/20.500.11822/45230
https://www.nasa.gov/science-research/earth-science/nasa-at-your-table-where-food-meets-methane/
https://www.nrdc.org/stories/composting-101
https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-management-food/composting
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9575438/
https://earth5r.org/community-composting-initiative/
https://scrapshala.com/blogs/blogs
https://tgpcb.cgg.gov.in/Uploads/PcbDocumentAllUploads/25warangalsinglefile12-05-2017.pdf
https://www.niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2023-03/Gaushala-report-2_14032023.pdf
