Where purpose, passion, and influence meet: Blank Canvas After Parties
Blank Canvas is an SAP original series hosted by Baratunde Thurston. Blank Canvas After Parties are where purpose and passion meet on Twitter.
During the pandemic, I’ve ordered more take-out food than I’d like to admit. As I loaded the plastic containers into the recycling bin, I thought I was being a responsible consumer helping to support food sustainability.
Then I found out that only 9% of all plastics are recycled. And the plastics that aren’t recycled take 450 years to break down in landfill. Wow.
It’s clear that the food and beverage industry has a huge role to play in the sustainability so valued by the Passionates, people who work for and do business with the companies that share their personal values on social issues.
For example, did you know that 40% of all plastics are produced for food and beverage packaging? Food production contributes to 26% of global carbon emissions, and it accounts for 26% of total water consumption. As Blank Canvas host Baratunde Thurston says, those are some “nasty” numbers.
Food sustainability: The taste of environmental & social justice
That’s why our most recent Blank Canvas after-party focused on sustainability in the food and beverage industry. Joining me were Sabrina Medora, a food writer, editor, and speaker, and Rob Rubba, a chef and sustainability advocate whose latest restaurant in embodies the sustainability ethos.
I asked my guests why people should be concerned about food sustainability, and the answers were stunning.
“We know that 1.3 billion tons of food go to waste every year,” says Medora, which equates to approximately 30% of the food produced. “Another shocking number is that 690 million people go hungry every year. We are starting to see a movement – from local consumers to big brands – of being more mindful of how we use our resources, not just from a climate point of view but also from the point of view of our fellow humans.”
It’s a big problem that demands more aggressive, innovative solutions. “We use so many resources to create food,” explains Rubba. “And we’re overbuying without being conscious of what we have. On top of that, we have people essentially starving or living in food deserts. As a society, we have enough food to feed each other, but we’re not doing that. We need to come together with better ideas.”
Food sustainability in the restaurant industry
Some restaurant industry leaders have accepted the mantle. Before opening his latest eatery, Rubba focused on reducing waste – including every ingredient, from start to finish. “Nothing goes into the bin without us considering whether it has another purpose or if it can be up-cycled,” he says.
Rubba had nearly eliminated plastics from his operation when the pandemic began. “We thought we had it all figured out and then we had to switch to takeout,” he remembers. “We did a lot of research to find takeout packaging that would fit our ethos, ultimately choosing containers made from sugarcane and compostable materials.”
Now the restaurant avoids all single-use plastics, choosing instead to employ high-quality lidded containers for every product in its operations. Processes such as sous vide, where plastic-wrapped food is cooked in water, have been eliminated from the repertoire. And the changes extend from farm to table.
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Local farmers deliver produce in a container, which is then unloaded into one of the restaurant’s containers in the walk-in refrigerator. Reusing the containers reduces the number of plastic bags and cardboard boxes that would otherwise be recycled or end up in landfill. Farmers are on board, because the practice means less packaging and lower costs for them.
Making these changes isn’t financially burdensome – as little as an additional three cents per package. “When you think about these containers sitting in a landfill for 450 years, the cost of that package doesn’t matter anymore,” says Rubba. “Not if we take ourselves out of the equation and think about the future.”
Don’t toss it: How consumers can help
Consumers have a role to play in food sustainability, too. Think about the contents of your refrigerator – and how much food you toss before it using it.
“I recently read that the average household throws away about $1,500 a year in food,” says Medora. “Simple steps like organizing foods, purchasing groceries mindfully, meal planning, and learning how to use ingredients in multiple ways can help. I was inspired by chefs like Rob who showed how to make pesto from the greens of carrot tops, instead of throwing them away.”
Regrowing green onions by placing the root ends in water is a fun way to have fresh herbs, save money, and be more sustainable in your own home.
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Medora invested in plastic bins designed to keep produce fresh for longer. “Two weeks later, I cannot believe I’m still enjoying this produce,” she says. “I didn’t have to buy more and I didn’t throw anything away.”
Medora also spent some time reorganizing her refrigerator so that goods were stored where they make the most sense – and are most easily seen and accessed. Next, she’s researching favorite products to ensure their packaging is compostable or recyclable.
“Take it one step at a time,” she advises. “No consumer will ever be perfect, but every little thing you do adds up.”
A healthy appetite for change
What’s more, consumers can drive change through their purchases. “Brands are relying on their websites and social media to tell the sustainability story of their products,” says Medora. “If you have a brand you love, follow them and see what they have to say.”
If your brand isn’t talking about sustainability, ask why. “We should gravitate toward the brands focused on sustainability,” she adds. “The more we choose to spend money with those brands, the more other companies will follow suit. Every company wants to go where the money is.”
