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Food waste's footprint starts before the bin

Growing, processing, and transporting food use resources before any of it is wasted. A 2021 US EPA report follows that path to the consumer. It excludes disposal, so it cannot by itself answer what happens after food enters the waste system.

3–7 min

Questions you could explore

  • Which stages disappear from view when we focus only on the bin?
  • How do farming, processing, transport, and disposal contribute to the emissions of food that is never eaten?

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Environment and climate

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4–5 min

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3–5 min

Why can a city be warmer than nearby countryside?

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4–5 min

A trip through a wastewater treatment plant

Environment and climate4–5 minWater disappearing down a drain begins another journey before it returns to a river or the sea. Inside a wastewater treatment plant, screens, settling tanks, and microbes tackle different kinds of pollution. Conventional sewage treatment produces effluent for controlled discharge; making recycled water suitable for drinking requires additional treatment and safeguards.

Food waste's footprint starts before the bin | Speech Topic | speaking.app