Our waste, and especially food waste, is not always the most exciting topic of conversation. It’s something many of us prefer not to think about and keep our head in the sand – or maybe out of the dirt. However, reducing food waste and composting what we can’t avoid is not only good for the environment, but is a great way to save money, improve soil health and have less rubbish going into the bin.
In France, as in the rest of Europe, we currently waste a huge amount of food. The French government estimated that in 2021 8,8 million tons of food waste were produced in France, which is an astonishing 129kg per personne !*
The UN says food loss and waste generate around 8% of all human caused emissions annually. Reducing this waste and properly dealing with what we do generate can have a huge impact on the emissions we all cause.
First and foremost we can all work on reducing our food waste, which will also help save us money! We throw away an incredible amount of food through over buying and not using leftovers: around half of the 129kg of food waste per person is estimated to be leftovers and food that’s been bought but not consumed before it’s gone rotten. Montagne Verte produced a handy guide to help with ideas on how to reduce your food waste that you will find here.
However, you’ll still have some waste such as vegetable peelings and egg shells to deal with. You may be wondering, why shouldn’t you just put these in your general waste bin.
The simple reason is the impact that organic waste has on the human caused emissions that are leading to climate change.
Bio-waste is 80% water, so incinerating it is unnecessarily energy-intensive.
The alternative, burying it in landfill, generates methane, a gas whose global warming potential is 25 times greater than that of CO2.
However, this waste can become a valuable resource when composted or methanised.
Since the 1st of January 2024 it is a legal requirement for all businesses and individuals in France to sort organic waste. France is a leader within the EU in implementing compulsory recycling, but in some regions local authorities are struggling to put municipal collection points in place. While we await a solution to be put into place in the Haut Chablais, those of us that have the space can start home composting.
If you have space at home, you can home compost and use this compost to strengthen the soil health in your garden, giving essential nutrients to your plants and reducing the need for pesticides and synthetic fertilisers. You can transform your garden waste and food waste into a nutrient rich matter that once added to your garden, improves the soil’s structure, aeration and biodiversity. It can also help hold moisture in the soil and slow down evaporation, helping protect your garden in the ever hotter and drier summers we are getting.
Reducing food waste and composting is an easy win for both the environment and your bank balance.
And if you use that compost to start growing some of your own vegetables it gets even better 😉
If you have space of your own then you can find our ecoguide on how to compost here.
If you live locally you can also go to the CCHC for a reduced priced composter, find info here.
If you don’t have a garden, do you have a friend that does and you could team up on your organic waste?
And if you run a restaurant, hotel or catered chalet you can join our BioCyclette scheme. We’ll come and take away your kitchen scraps and have it turned into biogas. You’ll even get a reduction on your Redevance Spéciale waste tax.
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