BUSINESS NEWS - An estimated 10 million tons of food is wasted annually in South Africa, while food security is a challenge yet to be overcome.
This signals a need to address consumer and industry behaviour to adopt sustainable habits and practices that reduce waste, as the environmental impact is significant.
This time of year, offers the perfect opportunity to address this, during a season where many throw caution to the wind. During the holiday season, many gather with their loved ones to celebrate the year that was and food is often an integral part of this.
As a byproduct of this time of year, overindulgence has become a synonymous behaviour - with over catering as a symptom during gatherings, resulting in food waste.
Currently, a third of our food in South Africa ultimately ends up being disposed of to landfills, where South Africa has a food waste per capita production rate of 210kgs per year. This is food that is produced, but never consumed, and ends up in landfills, including fruits, vegetables and cereals which alone account for 70% of this waste.
While this may not seem like a lot, it's important to consider that this is effectively 210kgs of food waste per person, per year. In a country where almost, a quarter of the population is affected by hunger and malnutrition, this level is far too high.
Therefore, we encourage consumers to reduce their food waste by separating their waste by type at home, supporting businesses that compost, and donate leftover food to charities and food distribution programmes.
Alternatively, upcycling leftovers into new meals is another method for consumers to play a role in waste reduction.
The South African Government has made a global commitment to halve food waste in the country by 2030. In support of this, new laws have been legislated and regulations are being rolled out, all aimed at cleaning-up South Africa and reducing the negative environmental and health impacts caused by waste.
However, these commitments cannot be reached without innovation in the waste management and food production industries. If companies themselves are not examining ways in which to set a benchmark for deriving better and more sustainable waste management solutions - solutions that focus beyond the landfill model - alternatives will not make the impact that is needed.
Companies in the waste management sector, for example, must examine ways to reduce waste by providing alternative and sustainable solutions to recover or reuse food waste and solutions around composting, anaerobic digestion and bioremediation - can, and should be undertaken.
Through anaerobic digestion, food waste can form a fundamental part of the fuel value chain, reduce reliance on coal-powered electricity for smaller entities and ensure a more sustainable model for electricity supply.
However, encouragingly, businesses in retailing and manufacturing, for instance, have launched programmes which assist consumers in becoming more informed about the importance of preserving products and preventing food which is still edible from ending up in landfills.
Additionally, several retailers have programmes in place where they donate unbought food before it reaches the expiry date - all worthwhile initiatives and a great starting point.
However, understandability, liabilities and limitations are still attached to this approach, as they are only aimed at protecting the end users/consumers - which is why some retailers are still cautious about such programmes.
While we have thoroughly stated the case of food waste, we are yet to explore the avenue of how food waste not suitable for human consumption fits into a broader circular ecosystem. This is a concept Interwaste understands well, providing an integrated, secure, and sustainable processing pathway for food waste and perishable goods that are no longer fit for human consumption and giving them a valuable secondary purpose.
This combined solution supports South Africa's food-waste reduction goals (Sustainable Development Goal 12.3) by ensuring that organic material is responsibly diverted from landfill and channelled into beneficial downstream uses.
The fight against food waste requires all hands-on deck, through collaboration from individuals, businesses and policymakers and a shared understanding that everyone plays a role.
It is only through consideration that we, as the people in our country (and of the world), will develop a shared interest and a role to play in managing food waste appropriately, from households to industries with circularity in mind and respect food - and only then will then see tangible and sustainable outcomes.