Sustainable September: Week 4

Last week was all about reducing the usage of paper especially in this building. Our installation became interactive with a comment on the usage of receipts in the canteen. Keep it up and make sure you don’t print unnecessarily.

UIC installation in UN city foyer and comments

Week 4 - Eat sustainably

The Food Waste Week offers the opportunity to raise awareness about the impacts of food waste and choices and to get us all on board with changing our behaviors that lead to squandered food and increased carbon footprint.

Roughly, one third of the food produced in the world for human consumption every year — approximately 1.3 billion tonnes — gets lost or wasted. In Denmark, the food waste costs Danish consumers more than 11 billion DKK a year.

Tips for reducing food waste:

1. Shop wisely and make shopping lists: approximately 20% of the food bought by danish consumers end up in the waste bin

2. Help fight against food waste in the city: Volunteer at FoodSharing – collect food from local shops, restaurants and bakeries that would otherwise go to waste, and help sharing it with those in need. (*you also get to take some of the food home for free as well!*)

3. Get the best food at a reduced price: through apps like YourLocal and TooGoodToGo, you could enjoy at the end of the day amazing Danish baked goods that haven’t been sold at half the price!

If the consequences of food waste are obvious, the environmental impact of what and how we produce and eat is less known. On a global scale, livestock agriculture accounts around 30-50% of all man-made emissions. Meat, cheese and eggs have by far the highest carbon footprint whereas fruits, vegetables, beans and nuts are the most environmentally friendly. Considering this, our choices can have a significant impact on our personal carbon footprint. In fact, a meat-based diet has a carbon footprint almost twice as high as a vegetarian one.

Tips for reducing your carbon footprint through food choices and handling:

1. Eat Vegetarian: or simply reduce your meat & dairy products intake

2. Cook smartly: let off the gas and electric oven: the most efficient cooking method is simmering on the stove-up

3. Eat organic: Organic farming methods for both crops and animals have a much lower impact on the environment than conventional methods.

Buy local: food transportation explain around 11% of the greenhouse emissions involved in food production!