Åsa Sandberg, food waste expert and TEDx speaker: Food waste one of the biggest threats to the climate!

2023-11-24

More than a third of all food in the world is thrown away – meanwhile, over 800 million people are starving. It's an entirely unreasonable equation. Food waste creates an enormous burden on the planet, entirely unnecessarily. Entire forests are cleared to grow food that will never be eaten. But with simple behavioral changes in our daily lives, everyone could make a difference. Åsa is a TEDx speaker and food waste expert who has long pushed the sustainability agenda in Sweden and has worked, among other things, in the world's largest food waste movement. Here, Asa shares her best tips for reducing food waste both at home and at work.

In Sweden, 70% of the total amount of food waste occurs in households, agriculture, and the food industry account for 8%, grocery stores and restaurants combined with public meals account for 11% each. Most commonly wasted are bread, fruits and vegetables, and dairy products, food that with a little planning and knowledge never needed to be thrown away.

"Food waste occurs primarily in homes, and here we all need to change our mindset. We often buy too much when shopping and sometimes forget what we have in the fridge, leading us to have double the food items that we don't end up eating. Additionally, part of the reason for food waste is that people discard leftovers because they consider them too small to save," explains Åsa Sandberg, a food waste expert with many years of experience in the field.

Even regular companies can and should contribute to reducing food waste in the workplace. In a small to medium-sized company where employees bring their own food or grab meals, food waste occurs in exactly the same way as in households. This is a behavior that needs to and can be changed.

"Companies can work to reduce food waste by thinking: how does the company handle food, how do they plan their purchases of food for lunches, fruit baskets, pastries, client meetings, etc. How is food waste managed at conferences and events? Introduce doggy bags at events, have a shared leftover feast the day after, donate surplus meals to Food Mission or similar, it's all about an approach," says Åsa Sandberg.

Åsa is a highly appreciated and frequently hired lecturer and moderator. Last spring, she was invited to be one of the few selected TEDx speakers on food waste, and this spring she is one of the speakers at NSE23. Watch her TEDx talk here »

"We need to meet and inspire each other, we need to be smart and observe behaviors and learn from solutions others have made. I believe in human interaction, together we are stronger. We need inspiration and to join forces to increase the pace. Collaboration is the key needed for us to make the necessary transition forward, that's why I participate in these forums," says Åsa Sandberg.

Here's how you can reduce food waste:
🌎 Plan your meals, make a shopping list, and don't overbuy when shopping.
🌎 Learn what 'best before' dates mean by looking - smelling - tasting.
🌎 Freeze leftover food and use it on another occasion. Use the ice cube tray to freeze coffee, fresh herbs, etc.
🌎 Store food at the right temperature, 4 degrees in the refrigerator.
🌎 Keep the fridge organized, apply the first-in, first-out method by placing newer food items at the back of the fridge and older ones at the front.
🌎 Don't be afraid to use the whole vegetable, use, for example, carrot tops for pesto and kale stems in smoothies.
🌎 Don't be afraid of leftovers, learn to cook with them. Pizza, omelets, stir-fries, and hash are perfect recipes for leftovers.
🌎 Tired of your leftovers - swap lunchboxes with a colleague at work to try new dishes.
🌎 Don't throw away shriveled vegetables. Soak them in water for a day, and they'll be good as new.

Do you want to know more about Åsa » https://asasandberg.com/