Food Waste is processed in a few different ways. Landfilling is the most ineffective method of disposal yet the most go-to method of disposing food wastes because it is cheap and easy. Food that ends up in Landfills generates greenhouse gases —7 percent of the world’s emissions — like methane, carbon dioxide and chlorofluorocarbons, which contribute to global warming.
Food waste can be kept out of Landfills by diverting it into other recovery processes. Such as land applications, to improve the nutrition of soil or for landscaping. Anaerobic Digestion breaks down material via bacteria in the absence of oxygen. This process generates biogas and nutrient-rich matter. Controlled combustion involves sending material to a facility that is specifically designed for combustion in a controlled manner to gain some form of energy recovery. Composting is breaking down material via bacteria in oxygen-rich environments. Though composting is very effective in managing organic waste, it isn't the most popular method. It is labor intensive and requires sorting through the waste which makes it ultimately more expensive than landfilling.
Implementations to reduce Food Wastage
In the U.S., scrutiny of food waste from the media, government agencies, and environmental groups has pushed a growing number of restaurants to start measuring what they toss, a crucial first step in curtailing loss. By removing trays from their cafeterias, scores of U.S. colleges have cut by 25 to 30 percent the amount of food that students take, and waste. The Natural Resources Defense Council is urging the U.S. government to standardize the confusing jumble of "sell by," "best by," and "use by" dates, which leads to unnecessary refrigerator purges. Academics are lobbying schools to resurrect home economics classes, which could teach our youngest consumers to embrace oddly shaped produce, store food properly, preserve surpluses, request smaller portions in restaurants, eat leftovers, share food they can't eat (often with the help of apps and social media websites), and compost everything that remains.
Overseas, some restaurants have even experimented with banning diners for leaving food on their plate or charging them extra. In Denmark, you can use an app to find restaurants and bakeries that are about to close and purchase their remaining food at a fraction of the cost.