Week 50: I resolve to reduce my environmental impact this Festive Season by choosing organic, local and sustainable produce wherever possible; and minimise waste by buying only what I need and composting the leftovers.
Date: 14-Dec-09
It's the time of year for fun with family, friends and FOOD! Over the Festive Season, we consume more than at any other time of year. Because of the land, fertilizers, water, energy, transport, storage, processing and packaging involved in food production, distribution and retailing, food has a heavy environmental footprint.
Also, when food waste is sent to landfill it breaks down without oxygen and produces methane, a greenhouse gas with more than 20 times the global warming capacity of carbon dioxide.
I can feast during the festive season and still reduce my environmental impact, by:
- Making a list and checking it twice, before I go food or Christmas shopping.
- Buying organic, free-range, local produce to reduce the amount of chemicals, water and energy involved in getting them to the kitchen table.
- Cutting down on red meat. It takes about 50,000 litres of water to produce 1kg of beef.
- Avoid overfished species facing endangerment or extinction. I can download a FREE pocket guide to sustainable seafood at www.marineconservation.org.au.
- Keep food waste to a minimum- the turkey sandwich was invented on Boxing Day! When I need to dispose of food, I can put it in a compost bin, bokashi bucket or worm farm instead of sending it to landfill.
For more information on having a sustainable Festive Season this year, I can download the Festive Season Green Guide here.
Commitment Statement
I resolve to reduce my environmental impact this Festive Season by choosing organic, local and sustainable produce wherever possible; and minimise waste by buying only what I need and composting the leftovers.