Practice of Reducing Food Waste

We can simply practice to reduce food waste every day. We should avoid buying more food than we need (Kubala, 2017). Ask for less food or unwanted side dishes when eating out (National Environment Agency, 2019). You can take away the leftover and save up for your next meal (Kubala, 2017). This helps to reduce throwing away the excess food. You might save up some money too.

If you cook at home, plan a list of items before purchasing any food ingredients from a market. This helps to reduce impulse buying and reduce food waste (Kubala, 2017). Moreover, learn how to stock your food properly. Food such as potatoes, garlic, and onions should be kept at room temperature. Never put them in refrigerator. Also, you might need to separate the foods that can produce ethylene gas. This gas promotes ripening the foods and could lead to spoilage (Kubala, 2017).

(Smith, 2016)

Last but not least, do not keep your leftover in room temperature for more than two hours or sitting at temperatures above 90 F (32 C). Your food may spoil fast or bacteria will grow. To avoid getting a food poisoning, remember that leftover should be kept inside the fridge and eaten up within three to four days (Bruno, 2019; Zeratsky, 2018).

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References:

Bruno, A. (2019, July 13). So, How Bad Is It to Eat Week-Old Leftovers? Retrieved from https://www.self.com/story/leftovers-food-safety-tips

Kubala, J. (2017, November 20). 20 Easy Ways to Reduce Your Food Waste. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/reduce-food-waste#section2

National Environment Agency. (2019, February 16). Everyone Urged To Adopt 3 Easy Habits To Reduce Food Waste. Retrieved from https://www.nea.gov.sg/media/news/news/index/everyone-urged-to-adopt-3-easy-habits-to-reduce-food-waste

Smith, K. (2016, June 23). Chopping Ingredients: HD photo by Katie Smith (@kate5oh3) on Unsplash. Retrieved from https://unsplash.com/photos/uQs1802D0CQ

Zeratsky, K. (2018, July 26). How long can you keep leftovers? Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/food-safety/faq-20058500

Key Barriers to Food Waste Reduction in Singapore

The key barriers towards Singapore’s food wastage are lack of Government Policies and Direction. Of course, there is no regulation or fine towards a consumer if the person throws away the food. The main point is that there is not much data and information on food waste. Consumers are lack of information, know-how, and reasons for reducing food waste (Tay, 2014).

Moreover, businesses such as food outlet may have lack staff education and training on reducing food waste. There are no economically feasible options for food waste recycling. Businesses and consumers are facing difficulties in sorting food waste (Tay, 2014).

(Morter, 2017)

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References:

Morter, E. (2017, January 11). Where is the love sung by The Black E…: HD photo by Emily Morter (@emilymorter) on Unsplash. Retrieved from https://unsplash.com/photos/8xAA0f9yQnE/

Tay, E. (2014, July 21). Insights on Food Waste in Singapore. Retrieved from http://www.greenfuture.sg/2014/07/21/insights-on-food-waste-in-singapore/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+GreenFutureSolutions+(Green+Future+Solutions)

Disposed Off Food Waste

Singapore has developed a unique residential waste disposal system. Consumers can dispose off their trash through a rubbish chute. It is designed to be convenient and user-friendly. However, the mouth of the rubbish chute is quite small. It is challenging to enforce large trash bag into the rubbish chute. Also, it reduce consumers’ accountability towards the amount of trash they generate every day (Chen & Low, 2019).

(Clark, 2018)

For commercial and industrial waste, garbage trucks will come and collect the trash on a scheduled basis. Recyclables are sorted from all waste collected, and food waste is collected and sent to waste-to-energy plants for incineration (National Environment Agency, 2019). This entire waste disposal process will need significant effort in manpower.

Lastly, the incineration ash and other non-incinerable wastes will be transport to Tuas Marine Transfer Station (TMTS). From there on, the waste will be barged into Semakau Landfill for final disposal (National Environment Agency, n.d.).

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References:

Chen, J., & Low, C. (2018, August 17). Food Waste Management in Singapore: Envisioning the Possibilities of a Zero Waste Nation. Retrieved from https://lkycic.sutd.edu.sg/blog/food-waste-management-singapore-envisioning-possibilities-zero-waste-nation/

Clark, J. (2018, March 19). Best thrower in london: HD photo by Jay Clark (@jayclark) on Unsplash. Retrieved from https://unsplash.com/photos/GXxX_rklGEo/

National Environment Agency. (2019, June 10). Food Waste Management. Retrieved from https://www.nea.gov.sg/our-services/waste-management/3r-programmes-and-resources/food-waste-management

National Environment Agency. (n.d.) Overview. Retrieved from https://www.nea.gov.sg/our-services/waste-management/overview

Causes of Food Wastage

(Teneva , 2018)

Singapore is not the only country that suffers from food wastage, many developing countries too (Lim, 2019).

Food wastage can happened in accidentally, unintentionally or intentionally. Unintentional food loss can caused by damaged or rotten food, while intentional food waste is caused by consumers habits such as throwing away the excessive food they can’t finish (E School Today, n.d.).

Food wastage can be caused by different sectors: primary industry, secondary industry, tertiary industry, business and consumers (Tay, 2014).

In the primary industry, food resources may have harvest loss due to pest or improper storage of meat and vegetables. The farmer will have to filter out the imperfect food before sending them off to the manufacturer (Tay, 2014).

When the resources arrived at the manufacturer, they will also need to filter out imperfect food from poor production process and management. Distributors and Retailers, including supermarkets, bakeries may need to throw away the damaged and unsold food products from improper stock management (Tay, 2014).

Food and Beverage outlets, households or consumers will throw away unfinished food because of large food portions, overcooking or poor cooking skills, expired or damaged food and leftovers from food dislikes (Tay, 2014).

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References:

E School Today. (n.d.). What is food loss and food waste? Retrieved from http://eschooltoday.com/global-food-waste-and-food-loss/what-is-food-waste.html

Lim, S. (2019, February 18). 85% of Singapore residents eat out every week – and rice and noodles are the most commonly wasted food items while doing so, NEA says. Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.sg/85-of-singapore-residents-eat-out-every-week-and-rice-and-noodles-are-the-most-commonly-wasted-food-items-while-doing-so-nea-says/

Tay, E. (2014, July 21). Insights on Food Waste in Singapore. Retrieved from http://www.greenfuture.sg/2014/07/21/insights-on-food-waste-in-singapore/

Teneva. M. (2018, November 12). Hungry ants: HD photo by Maria Teneva (@miteneva) on Unsplash. Retrieved from https://unsplash.com/photos/vf4O1OwtPnk

Man Eats Leftover of a Stranger and Feel Satisfied

According to the National Environment Agency (NEA), around 85 per cent of Singapore residents eat out at least once a week. Some of them even eating out every day. Dr Khor, Senior Minister of State for Environment and Water Resources in Singapore said that Singaporean would consume their meal most frequently at hawker centres and food courts (Koh, 2019).

NEA had found out few reasons why the consumer did not finish their food. One is because the portions were too big. Secondly, is that they did not eat some of the ingredients. Last but not least, they bought more than enough food to taste a variety of food (Lim, 2019).

A man called Luo Yong Hui claimed himself a freegan (Obbana, 2019). On 13 July, he posted a photo on the group of SG Food Rescue page. Luo said that he felt hungry, so he went to a coffee shop to buy something. However, he sees stranger’s leftovers in the coffee shop, he took new utensils, sat down and decide to finish the leftovers. In the end, he did not spend any money but also satisfied with the leftovers (Luo, 2019).

(Luo, 2019)

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References:

Koh, F. (2019, February 16). NEA launches year-long battle against food wastage. Retrieved from https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/nea-launches-year-long-battle-against-food-wastage

Lim, S. (2019, February 18). 85% of Singapore residents eat out every week – and rice and noodles are the most commonly wasted food items while doing so, NEA says. Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.sg/85-of-singapore-residents-eat-out-every-week-and-rice-and-noodles-are-the-most-commonly-wasted-food-items-while-doing-so-nea-says/

Luo, Y. H. (2019, July 13). Photo by Luo Yong Hui on SG Food Rescue, Facebook. Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10157370603438147&set=gm.698942990557299&type=3&theater&ifg=1

Obbana, R. (2019, July 15). The Independent SG. Man Eats Stranger’s Leftovers in Coffeeshop, Says, “End up Not Spending Anything and Satisfied”. Retrieved from http://theindependent.sg/man-eats-strangers-leftovers-in-coffeeshop-says-end-up-not-spending-anything-and-satisfied/

Singapore Food Wastage

Food wastage has always been an issue that is concerned by the National Environment Agency (NEA) of Singapore (Koh, 2019; Lim, 2019). It is the second-largest waste generated category in Singapore. The first category would be plastic (National Environment Agency, 2018). Contributing the growth of economic and population of Singapore, food wastage is expected to continue increasing.

Statistic data was reported by the National Environment Agency

In 2015, the total food waste generated was 785,500 tonnes, 13 per cent of food waste had been recycled. In spite of comparing to 2017, there was an increase of 24,300 tonnes in food waste generated and only 16 per cent of them have been recycled. If you are curious about where did the rest of it go, they were disposed of at the waste-to-energy (WTE) plants for incineration.

(Business Insider SG, 2018)

Food waste management is a need to reduce food wastage, redistributing unsold or excess food, and recycling. If the food wastage not appropriately managed, odour nuisance issues and vermin proliferation may occur (National Environment Agency, 2019).

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References:

Business Insider SG. (2018, October 09). There’s a new initiative to combat food waste in Singapore – swapping food items in the office: photo by Business Insider SG. Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.sg/theres-a-new-initiative-to-combat-food-waste-in-singapore-swapping-food-items-in-the-office/

Koh, F. (2019, February 16). NEA launches year-long battle against food wastage. Retrieved from https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/nea-launches-year-long-battle-against-food-wastage

Lim, S. (2019, February 18). 85% of Singapore residents eat out every week – and rice and noodles are the most commonly wasted food items while doing so, NEA says. Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.sg/85-of-singapore-residents-eat-out-every-week-and-rice-and-noodles-are-the-most-commonly-wasted-food-items-while-doing-so-nea-says/

National Environment Agency. (2019, June 10). Food Waste Management. Retrieved from https://www.nea.gov.sg/our-services/waste-management/3r-programmes-and-resources/food-waste-management

National Environment Agency. (2018) Waste Statistics and Overall Recycling. Retrieved from https://www.nea.gov.sg/our-services/waste-management/waste-statistics-and-overall-recycling