Let’s Talk Trash: Food Waste Prevention Week

Published on April 08, 2025

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By Savannah Bunch, Environmental Specialist

Food Waste Prevention Week runs April 7 to 13, as part of a global effort to raise awareness and push for changes to reduce food waste in our communities. It’s considered a solvable problem that you may be contributing to unintentionally. In this Dunedin Insights, we’ll put it into perspective by highlighting the journey of a strawberry, and the unintended consequences of throwing it away.  

If you’ve ever seen the National Resources Defense Council’s The Extraordinary Life and Times of a Strawberry, you know the journey of a single berry is not what you might have originally thought. From farm to landfill, our food system is rife with emissions and resource strain. But the worst part? 30-40% of food in the U.S. goes uneaten (USDA and RTS). That’s wasted resources, wasted labor, and a whole lot of emissions. Let’s take a deep dive into the life cycle of food waste and how we can turn this tragedy into a sustainability success story.

Act 1: The Journey to Your Grocery Cart

Our strawberry begins its life on a farm. But it’s probably not the picturesque farm you’re imagining. Instead, it’s likely a massive industrial operation. Over the last few decades, the food industry has consolidated, meaning fewer companies control the vast majority of what we eat (Heinrich Böll Foundation, 2022). This has led to a narrowing of genetic diversity in crops, making them more vulnerable to disease and climate change (FAO, 2019).

The sheer amount of resources and labor required to grow a single strawberry can be staggering. Modern agriculture depends on synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, irrigation, and mechanized harvesting, all of which contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, agriculture is responsible for over 20% of global emissions (FAO, 2021).

Let’s break it down:

  • Fertilizer Production – Synthetic fertilizers and other agricultural activities are the primary source of nitrous oxide emissions in the world. 
  • Pesticides & Water Use – Pesticide production generates emissions, while excessive irrigation depletes freshwater resources.
  • Soil Degradation – Industrial farming depletes soil health, reducing its ability to store carbon. Healthy soil can sequester up to 25% of annual global fossil fuel emissions (UN FAO, 2020).
  • Transportation – Once harvested, strawberries are trucked across the country, burning diesel and adding to their emissions footprint.

Act 2: Grocery Store Glow-Up

When the strawberries arrive at the grocery store, they’re subjected to an intense selection process. Modern consumers expect perfect produce, and grocery stores comply, leading to massive food waste.

The process of readying the strawberries for consumers contributes to this problem:

  • Refrigeration – Grocery stores use refrigeration to extend shelf life, accounting for 40% of total store electricity use (DOE, 2020).
  • Packaging & Plastic Waste – Many strawberries come in plastic clamshells, adding to global plastic pollution, which emits GHGs during production and disposal.
  • Store-Level Waste – If strawberries don’t sell in time, they’re tossed right into the trash.

Act 3: The Forgotten Fridge Dweller

You bring home your strawberries with the best intentions. But maybe life gets busy, and they end up shoved to the back of the fridge. A week later, they’ve grown a fuzzy white coat and are headed for the trash.

What happens next?

  • Landfill Methane Emissions – When food decomposes in landfills, it releases methane, a greenhouse gas 25 times more potent than CO2 (EPA, 2022).
  • Wasted Resources – All the water, labor and packaging materials are completely wasted. Food waste accounts for 8-10% of global emissions (UNEP, 2021).

Easy Ways to Prevent Food Waste

Numerous studies have shown that the bulk of emissions happen in the production stage. So the most effective solution: refuse. Suppliers will stock according to buyer habits— so when we overbuy, they overstock.

Here are some other tips:

  • Shop Smart, Not Hungry – Plan meals and buy only what you need. Impulse buys often end up as waste.
  • First In, First Out – Rotate your groceries to use older items first.
  • Love Your Leftovers – Repurpose scraps into smoothies, soups, stews, veggie stock, or jams.
  • Freeze It to Save It – Fruits freeze well and can be used later for snacks or baking.
  • Use the ‘Where Does It Go?’ Tool – Find out how to dispose of food waste properly with Pinellas County’s tool.
  • Consider Composting – Here in Dunedin, we have a backyard composting program that helps residents turn food scraps into rich soil. Applications for the program will reopen in May 2025, so stay tuned!

Let’s Keep Food Out of the Trash

The journey of a strawberry shouldn’t end in a landfill. The next time you’re about to toss a mushy berry, think about the energy, labor, and resources that went into growing it. Reducing food waste isn’t just about being less wasteful—it’s about protecting our planet. Together, we can make Food Waste Prevention Week the start of lasting change— one uneaten strawberry at a time.

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