Tossing out overripe avocados, wilted greens and sour milk isn't just costing you money — it's also contributing to climate change. In this episode, learn how to reduce your food waste with composting strategies and creative recipes. This episode originally published December 12, 2019. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
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You're listening to lifekit from NPR.
Hey, everybody, it's Marielle.
It's climate Solutions Week here at NPR across the network.
You'll hear stories and conversations about the search for climate solutions and the future of our food.
And this week of stories isn't just about covering the climate.
It's meant to remind us that we can always do something about climate change, which I know seems daunting.
But want to know something you can do that really will make a difference?
Reduce your food waste.
When I first heard that we could help fight climate change by reducing food waste, I was shocked.
That's Kathryn Miller, former vice president of impact at the James Beard foundation.
She's also the author of at the table, the chef's guide to Advocacy.
Turns out 30% to 40% of the food supply in America ends up as waste.
Right now, we waste 40% of the food that's produced in the United States.
And a lot of that food actually goes into landfills.
And in the landfill, all the food that's bagged up, it can't get the oxygen it needs to fully decompose.
So instead of decomposing, it rots and releases methane, a greenhouse gas that in the short term is way more potent than carbon dioxide.