Buy Local, Reduce Food Waste
With Waste Action Maleny
Recently, our daughter bought garlic at her local market, causing us to think about the benefits of buying local — particularly regarding food waste.
Food waste is a big deal. Because most food waste goes to landfill, it is one of the major sources of greenhouse gas emissions contributing to the global warming we’re experiencing today.
If you’re concerned about where your food comes from, how it’s grown and the impact it has on the environment, consider buying from local producers. Benefits include:
• buying just what you need and reducing food waste
• eliminating unnecessary packaging by using your own bag
• getting food with fewer transport miles, reducing carbon emissions
• buying fresher food with less spoilage
• saving money
• being able to speak directly with the grower about their produce
Our daughter’s chat with the grower told her the garlic she was buying was organically grown (without the use of pesticides) and was freshly picked. It was also the best garlic we’ve ever tasted.
So next time you’re in the supermarket reaching for garlic grown overseas in plastic wrapping, consider the many benefits of buying locally instead.