As sort of a supplement to last week’s post, I want to talk about another sadly wasteful facet of our society – leftover food. Food scarcity isn’t really problem in the United States as much as it is in developing countries. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be conscious about how much of it goes to waste.

I know that here at Penn State, leftover scraps of food are composted into organic material. This shows that our university isn’t turning a blind eye to Mother Nature, a fact of which I’m proud. However, if I think about all the many institutions that don’t do such things, I begin to realize the enormous amount of food that gets put to no use. Much of the world goes to bed hungry, while Americans are mindlessly throwing extra food away.

My parents tell me that in some restaurants in the Philippines, employees are allowed to take any extra food home. That food then goes to feed their families and maybe their neighbors, instead of going completely to waste. Here in America though, there are laws against such acts because of liabilities involving food-borne illnesses. There are even rules about how long food is allowed to sit out. I remember watching a clerk at a Pizza Hut kiosk in Target throw away a pizza because the label indicated it had been sitting on the shelf for at least 3 hours. In these situations, throwing food away seems like the easiest option. But there has to be a better way? At least, I would hope so.

For instance, maybe there could be laws mandating that restaurants compost their leftover food. Or maybe regulations could be lightened to allow for extra food to be taken home or given to places like soup kitchens so that the food goes to those who need it. These ideas might be unrealistic (the FDA might not be on board), but it’s a start. In the meantime, individuals can do their part to reduce the amount of food waste. For example, take leftovers home from a restaurant and save it for another meal. At a buffet (like at the commons for example), only get food that you know you’re going to eat so that nothing gets left on your plate (don’t pile on food that you can’t finish). If you do have extra food, be a helping hand and put it in the compost bin yourself. These are just little things but I bet they could go a long way.