Oct 13, 2014

Food Wastage in Singapore - Think before you throw!

"Hunger never saw bad bread"

Benjamin Franklin

From the Field to the Plate. 
The idea to document the journey of food from the field down the production chain to the plate sounds simple enough, but over the course of this blog, I realize the journey of food goes beyond the plate after it is consumed by the hungry masses. What then happens to food after it gets consumed? Does it get disposed? Or are there ways to recycle food for further use?

In previous weeks I explored how food leaves the production line for fueling vehicles rather than filling stomachs. In this post I bring forward another key controversy in food’s journey to our plates, its wastage. Just like other forms of waste, food is wasted from both production processes and post-consumption, leaving it piled up in landfills and attracts animals and vectors, which see them as sources of food. Vectors in particular carry diseases which can affect the health of the population (Khoo, Lim and Tan, 2010).

Let’s begin by showing some statistics from Singapore over the past few years:
As of 2013, there has been a 17.4% increase in food waste in Singapore, reaching an all-time high of 796,000 tonnes
(Source: Siau (2014); Sim (2014))

As evidenced above, food waste in Singapore has grown tremendously over several years, without any improvements to recycling rates. Wasting of food can be observed by 4 main stakeholders, households, supermarkets, food factories and finally restaurants, each having their own reasons for throwing food away. Households are conscious of expiry dates and dispose of food, while supermarkets might throw away food if it doesn’t look aesthetically pleasing enough. Restaurants in particular are in conflict, as the National Environment Agency mandates catered and pre-packed food to be consumed by 4 hours (App2.nea.gov.sg, 2013).

The problem of food waste however, has not gone unnoticed and considerable efforts have already been made by the government. Singapore has established a working group with representatives from multiple governmental agencies targeted at addressing food waste, and have recently commissioned a survey to understand the food habits of Singaporeans. The press has also presented headline articles highlighting the shocking statistics and similar tips (see TODAY or The Straits Times).

Role of Society and Business in addressing the Food Waste Problem
Non-governmental groups have also been in action. In ENV1101, we looked into the importance of environmental grassroots around the world in driving policy changes. In Singapore however, it is rare to see such extreme environmental activists in action. Rather many present themselves as educators, hoping to rally the masses to collective action. This is no exception to food waste, an emerging issue in the field of environmental sustainability. Mr. Eugene Tay, founder for Green Future Solutions, pioneered the first food waste related website “Save Food Cut Waste”, which highlight tips for users to minimize their food waste. 

The push to tackle food waste has been done across multiple sectors, sometimes as collaborations and others individually. Above are some of the organisations working towards a Singapore with minimal food waste

Youth and NGOs have also been involved in this struggle. In 2013, a group of Mass Media students from Nanyang Technological University launched Makan Mantra for their FYP, a campaign to teach people steps to reduce food wastage when dining out, a common trend amongst working Singaporeans (learn more about their campaign here). NGOs such as the FoodBank and Food from the Heart, were also founded by individuals keen on making a difference into the lives of the needy, who had very evident difficulties in procuring food. The impacts these stakeholders have made to the F&B industry is evidence that so long as a problem concerns you, small groups can have the power to be the change we want to see.

Inspired by what they observe in Singapore, advocates take unique approaches to reduce food wastage. Makan Mantra (top) worked towards educating people on ways to make ideal food purchases, whereas FoodBank SG (above) used a social enterprise model to re-direct food that would have been thrown away to the needy instead
(Source: 
http://www.beermarket.com.sg/makan-mantra/; http://www.foodbank.sg/banking-differently/how-it-works)

Beyond actions taken by the public, some businesses have also been active in trying to cut down on the food waste they produce, either from re-distribution of food, or from the use of mature technologies to recycle food. One case study in particular impresses me, and that would be Marina Bay Sands, one of Singapore’s Integrated Resorts.

What does Marina Bay Sands do with all the uneaten food after an evening of buffets!
(Source:: http://www.feveravenue.com/chocolate-affair-at-marina-bay-sands/http://www.marinabaysands.com/restaurants/buffet.html)

Because of their countless buffet options situated at their Casino, restaurants and Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands collaborates with Food from the Heart to redistribute unconsumed bread to the needy after breakfast buffets close. They also use Eco-Wiz digesters, which convert food waste into re-usable water. Although I could not find a video explaining the green strategies of Marina Bay Sands, I did manage to find a video on how this Eco-Wiz technology works.


However, just having these technologies available should not justify excessive production of food by companies, for that is also a means of depleting resources unnecessarily. Also, the degree to which businesses can afford these technologies really depends on their finances. While bigger companies can invest in such technologies to go green, I am of the opinion that governments have to provide more to support food recycling in smaller F&B businesses like cafes, who are usually hampered by equipment costs, as well as areas of high human traffic, such as hawker centres. This can be done by funding areas with trial systems to allow for recycling of food.

Food waste is a controversial issue, and I feel it is a reflection of modern society’s insistence that everything can be thrown away and the environment will somehow make it magically disappear. Food today has become a lot easier to assess, and people seeing this would likely argue that throwing away a small portion of their plate that they couldn’t eat finish would probably do themselves. However, little actions do add up, and creating such unnecessary waste streams would result in greater environmental problems than people can imagine.

Let us be considerate for the environment.
Follow your Mummy’s advice and:

(Image Source: http://www.clker.com/clipart-355662.html)

References
App2.nea.gov.sg, (2013). [online] Available at: http://app2.nea.gov.sg/docs/default-source/public-health/guidelines_for_ordering_catered_meals_for_functions_and_events_3rd_edition.pdf?sfvrsn=2 [Accessed 13 Oct. 2014].

Khoo, H., Lim, T. and Tan, R. (2010). Food waste conversion options in Singapore: Environmental impacts based on an LCA perspective. Science of the total environment, 408(6), pp.1367--1373.

Siau, M. (2014). Recycling of foodwaste yet to catch on in Singapore. Today. [online] Available at: http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/recycling-foodwaste-yet-catch-singapore [Accessed 13 Oct. 2014].

Sim, W. (2014). More food going to waste. The Straits Times. [online] Available at: http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/singapore/story/more-food-going-waste-20140319-0 [Accessed 13 Oct. 2014].