What do you do with your food waste?

We’ve heard of an ingenious solution that has be trialled up in Scotland, but leftovers still remain an issue for many customers and establishments alike. And then there’s always the problem about what to do about your domestic surplus.

It is safe to say that food waste is most certainly on everybody’s agenda at the moment – so it should be, given that in 2011 the United Nation’s food agency claimed that nearly a third of the world’s food gets skipped.

Seattle City Council voted on a new piece of legislation earlier on this week that they hope will reduce the amount of compostable waste thrown away by households in their jurisdiction.

Now residents who fill more than 10 percent of their rubbish bags with food such as pizza crusts, coffee grounds and uneaten leftovers from dinner will face a fine which could rise up to $50 for repeat offenders.

It is some of the strictest laws in the United States of America, Council officials have said.

The Pacific Northwest city is the second major U.S metropolitan area, after San Francisco, to usher in mandatory composting laws in as part of a sustained environmental policy.

Seattle is aiming to be completely carbon neutral by 2050 and as part of that drive they are pushing residents to conserve water and energy, ditch the use of cars in favour of walking or public transport options, use certified ‘green’ products and reduce the amount of food that is needlessly wasted.

It is believed – judging from data from the National Resource Defense Council – that in the United States as a whole around 40% of all food purchased gets thrown away. Recycling and compost rates in the country are low too.

Under these newly elected in rules, refuse collectors will monitor residents’ trash and if an offense is adjudged to have taken place then a ticket will be logged.

The council voted 9-0 in favour of this food waste legislation.

What do you think about it?