Waste Not, Want Not: The Importance of Reducing Food Waste During the Holidays

Americans are recognizing the need to fight food waste. But we know there’s work to do, as ~40% of our food supply is still wasted. The holidays provide us all with an opportunity to make a difference. More than 50 million people may face food insecurity this year because of the COVID-19-related pandemic conditions. They’re dealing with job loss, fewer working hours or decreased access to the free/reduced lunches typically provided by schools. This year, perhaps more than ever, people living in our communities are going to need each other’s help. Rather than wasting food, which is harmful to the environment and our communities, it is important that we use our resources more wisely and divert food waste - not only during the holidays, but also in the months after.

Volunteerism: Combating Food Waste in Our Communities

It’s going to take a village to reduce food waste – and both our citizens and our businesses must do their part. At the local level, food banks are an excellent opportunity to reduce food waste post-consumer purchase. Organizations such as Feeding America and its network of food banks rescue around 3.6 billion pounds of food that would have ended up in landfills. This is food that could help feed the hungry.

In a difficult year when families are relying on food banks more than ever before, my company (CHEP) is proud to play a role in helping these organizations deliver more meals to more families. In 2020, 148 CHEP employees volunteered 547 hours to sort 74,802 pound of food – the equivalent of 63,950 meals. Our cash donation of $91,000 would equal nearly 364,000 meals. But this is just a start…We also actively encourage our employees to reduce food waste in their own homes, with periodic reminders to check expiration dates on food to ensure it’s used before it goes bad – an important consideration in times when consumers are stockpiling food.

Technology/Equipment: Combating Food Waste in the Supply Chain

While we know food banks and similar initiatives can help reduce food waste right before it ends up in the landfill, it is perhaps even more important to act further up the supply chain – to reduce waste before the product even reaches the shelf.

Here’s food for thought: did you know that to make up the profit loss from just one can of beans, a retailer would have to sell 20 cans of beans? It’s hard to believe – yet true. Companies rely on partners like CHEP to help reduce the amount of product damage and resulting food waste that occurs in the supply chain. Based on data gathered by an independent supply chain analytics company, shipping products on pooled, high quality CHEP pallets instead of one-way pallets saves more than 100 million damaged boxes of product each year[1]. A robust shipping platform is critical to reducing product damage from the multiple handling touches a product incurs as it moves through the supply chain. CHEP works with businesses in the food & beverage industry to help determine the optimal configuration of unit loads for racking and transit, with a view to maximizing efficiency and minimizing damage.

The advent of digital technology is opening new frontiers in supply chain visibility and compliance. At CHEP, we are exploring how to best track the environment in which goods are transported; particularly those needing certain temperatures for food safety. For example, a minimal raise in temperature could melt an entire shipment of ice cream before it reaches the retailer’s freezer. The same goes for fresh produce and other perishables – in order to minimize this type of wastage, it is imperative that supply chain partners come together and leverage digital innovation.

Say no to food waste

Now is the time of year that both food manufacturers and consumers are looking for ways to give back. Sadly, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates household waste increases up to 25% between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day. This year, rather than contributing to the growing food waste, let’s curb it. Let’s champion it in our communities, volunteering our time and money to get food into the homes that need it. And let’s solve for it in the supply chain, investing in technologies and platforms that protect food before it reaches the shelf.

When we work together, a world with zero food waste is achievable.

[1] Based on 900 million CHEP pallets per year, 60 cases per pallet on average, and 0.21% fewer damaged cases on CHEP compared to one-way pallets