We all are harming our environment.

Food waste is one of the more important issues facing the country, yet most people are not aware of this pervasive issue and the impact it is having on our environment.

When food waste decomposes in a landfill without oxygen, this creates an anaerobic sequence that produces the methane, which is approximately 20 times more harmful to the atmosphere than carbon dioxide.  This in turn contributes to the destruction of the ozone layer, which can lead to higher temperatures around the globe.

Another dangerous outcome of so much food wastage being dumped into landfills is the amount of groundwater pollution it creates. When it rains on landfills, the water allows for toxic chemicals, such as ammonia, to develop. These chemicals can leach into drinking water supplies and could also reach bodies of water such as lakes or rivers, killing the living organisms that inhabit those environments. Both groundwater and surface water are highly polluted when in close distance from a landfill.

Just living near a landfill can cause harm to humans due to air pollution that has been linked to respiratory diseases and even types of cancer.  This is due to the fact that gases produced from a landfill do not stay complacent, as they are able to find their way into homes and businesses in the surrounding area. Due to the massive amounts of waste that is left there, landfills have also been known to ignite large fires. This further allows for dangerous chemicals to fill the air and pollute bodies of water. Wildlife such as birds and mammals that scavenge for food at the dump are also at risk.

 A common sense way to help prevent food waste is to create a better system for date labeling on food products