Balancing Food Waste & Food Packaging | An Interview with Jonathan Bloom

Back in 2008 when I first dipped my toes into the blogging world, Jonathan Bloom’s blog, Wasted Food, was one of the first I started reading regularly.

In addition to maintaining his blog, Bloom has written a book on food waste in America (American Wasteland).

So he’s got a lot of knowledge about the food waste that happens in the fields and in the production/packaging/shipping process and he’s also very interested in reducing food waste in the home.

Basically, he knows all the stuff I do about food waste plus way, way more.

Recently, I’ve been thinking a lot about the role of packaging in food waste.   Unpackaged food is really appealing to me, but sometimes food packaging reduces waste, and that’s also appealing to me.

For instance, grape tomatoes fare better in packaging that keeps them from crushing each other.

The tape around these bananas from Aldi keeps the bunches from breaking apart (single bananas are much less likely to be bought) and the wrap around the stems prevents them from ripening too quickly (grocery stores typically have to get rid of copious numbers of overripe bananas.)

But how much packaging is too much?   And ecologically speaking, do you come out ahead by using some packaging, if that packaging prevents food waste?

It’s kind of complicated.

Since Bloom is a veritable font of food waste knowledge, I thought he’d be a good guy to go to with my questions, and he kindly agreed to let me interview him.

1. Ideally speaking, we’d like to get food from the field to our tables with no waste in the production, transportation, and home storage of our food. But unless we grow all of our food in our own backyards, that’s a little difficult to accomplish. What are your thoughts on the use of clamshells, plastic wrap, Styrofoam, and plastic bags used to package the produce in our stores? (advantages/disadvantages)

In general, I’d like to see as little packaging as possible. Yet, when it comes down to preserving food vs. avoiding packaging, I tend to side with the former. Because so much energy, water and land usage have gone into creating our food, there should be a higher premium on avoiding waste than eliminating packaging.

In addition to growing our own food and shopping at a supermarket, there’s a third way””buying as locally as possible. So going to farmers’ markets, farm stands or local producers is a great idea. These places tend to use limited packaging without sacrificing food quality because their products don’t have to travel far.

Also, it’s worth noting that there’s nothing wrong with reusing produce bags and many other kinds of packaging.

2. When it comes to home storage of the food you buy, what are your personal rules about using disposable/energy-using products? Do you look at a cost/benefit ratio (Does a refrigerator or freezer save enough food to make it worth owning?), and how does convenience play into your decision making?

I have several reusable produce bags, and I try to reuse all of those produce bags I take from the store. Additionally, I don’t take bags for certain items that don’t need them””tomatoes, bananas, etc. Like anyone, I feel a certain fatigue factor with the question of sustainability vs. convenience. Yet, by incorporating green habits into our routine””like bringing our own shopping bags””we can make those concessions to convenience the exception to the rule.

Honestly, I’ve never considered going without a refrigerator. I have heard about plenty of folks forgoing that modern convenience, but I’m very skeptical on whether the energy savings would outweigh the environmental impact from wasted food.

3. Farmer’s markets typically use less packaging, and since the farms that feed the markets are smaller, I assume their field/transportation waste is less. So, do you place a high priority on shopping for local food?

For so many reasons, I’m a huge proponent of eating locally. Keeping your money local and supporting small (often family) businesses makes sense and feels good. Meanwhile, the food almost always tastes good (and better than food shipped cross-country). Businesses. And local food tends to be more sustainable, both because there’s less waste and packaging.

4. Supermarkets sometimes discount damaged produce and package it in plastic or on Styrofoam trays. In such a case, do you think it’s better to purchase the discounted, packaged produce, or the unpackaged, undamaged produce?

I’d say you’ve reached an elite level of waste awareness if you’re considering this choice! Every case is different, but I’m a fan of the discount produce rack, for the economic incentives and awareness raising. And it might make sense to ask the store manager about eliminating the Styrofoam trays. Having said that, I wouldn’t buy the discount, damaged produce unless I was sure I’d be able to use it. Having a plan is key, such as transforming wilted veggies into a stew or brown bananas into banana bread.

5. Do you have any other thoughts to share on the topic?

In general, discarded food represents a larger waste of natural resources than food packaging. Yet, I’d advise people to focus on the overall sustainability picture and not get paralyzed by the glut of green messages. In the long term, being an aware and engaged shopper is more important than any individual decision.

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Jonathan, thank you so much for answering my questions.   And thank you for all that you do to help create a low-waste culture here in America!
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Food Waste Friday is over at Simply Being Mum today.

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