In todays world, population explosion has vastly impacted our planet and natural biodiversity. With increase in population and urbanisation the food waste is terribly increasing which in turn has created an havoc in the environment.” We waste more food than we consume.” According to the recent studies in Canada, more than half of the food being produced are wasted. Each year around 56.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents are emitted due to food waste. Serious measures need to taken immediately to mitigate the food waste. Rotten wastes are decomposed in landfill which in-turn releases methane gas and that is actually 28 times more vigorous than carbon dioxide. Anaerobic digestion is one such method where food waste is converted to energy and fertilizer. “You have to be your own teacher.” Each and every individual has to take a major step in reducing the food waste by properly managing and buying foods.
Organic Waste is a major problem in the current scenario which is giving major headlines. Food waste are the waste which when dumped without proper care can cause a huge environmental change. There are millions of people die every day due to lack of food and tonnes of foods are wasted a single day without proper care. This is not only affecting country’s economic growth but also affecting the natural biodiversity. Methane and carbon emitted by-products from landfills is creating a major problem and if not controlled can cause a huge loss to the environment.
Wasted food can be generated at any point along the food chain starting from crop harvesting to consumption of food. During this food cycle the main sources of food wastage are lack of communication and cooperation between farmers, excess production, consumption , premature harvesting and retail. 35.5 million tonnes of food produced in Canada is lost and wasted. As per new report, about one third of the food wasted can be reused and sent to under developed countries. Food which are dumped in landfills causes emission of methane greenhouse gasses which is really turning the environment upside down.
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It is estimated that around 7% of greenhouse gasses generated are due to food waste. Biosolids creates a top soil which contains microorganisms that helps to convert methane to carbon dioxide which is less potent to environment. Metro Vancouver and Thompson-Nicola Regional District worked together to mitigate the methane emission. Nutrifor was mixed with woodchips and sawdust which converts methane into carbon dioxide, thus reducing methane emissions by 90%. The gas that is generated from the landfill is used to generate electricity. Landfill gas is collected through pipes by drilling wells in the landfills. After processing, the landfill gas is combined with natural gas which is indirectly used as a fuel to run turbines.
Landfill gasses are used in fuel cell technologies which in turn are used to produce electricity. Bio fuels which is the by-product of the organic waste is already in use now a days. Government of Canada is taking major step towards the welfare of the environment by promoting the use of forestry, agriculture and landfill biomass which in-turn can be used to produce renewable natural gas and other bioproducts like bioplastics and bio composites. This advancement of scientific technology of reusing organic products will help Canada drastically to cut down emissions of green house gasses leading to a good and nice living environment.
