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SHUT DOWNThe Von Tiling we strive to be as sustainable, socially responsible, environmentally friendly and transparent as possible in all areas of our production and sales. In the meantime, we have been very successful in doing this in the textile industry. But what about other areas that we encounter in everyday life outside of our work?
We want about that Waste of food speak. Most can imagine something, but it's not just about the senseless throwing away of edible food in homes and supermarkets. It's also about food leftovers in restaurants, about the overproduction of fast-food chains and also about the sorting out of field crops that are of absolutely fine quality and just don't meet the standards visually.
With that in mind, let's take a look at some facts so we're all on the same page.
A study by the BMEL (Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture):
The BMEL has determined that around twelve million tonnes of edible food are thrown away in Germany (study published in September 2019).
12% of this waste occurs on the field/greenhouse alone. Fruit and vegetables that are perfectly fine are left lying around here. Or it is misused for biogas production. This is only done for aesthetic reasons and because straight cucumbers stack better than crooked ones.
In France, the “Ugly Fruits and Vegetables” (Fruits et légumes moches) campaign has been running for several years. Since 2019 there has also been an initiative in Germany called “Zu gut für die Tonne” (zugutfuerdietonne.de).
In Germany, for example, the company Etepetete (etepetete-bio.de) is actively addressing the problem. In cooperation with local organic farmers, Etepetete buys up the harvest that cannot be sold wholesale or retail. These are then packed in food boxes and delivered to the customers. It is therefore not possible to order a specific product. You get what is there. Because the constant availability of almost all products in the supermarket is anything but sustainable. But more on that in the next section.
Who even actively saving food can, for example, inquire in the area: Which farmers offer a so-called post-harvest? You go over a harvested field and collect, for example, potatoes that the harvesters have left over. Sometimes you can even do this for free and take a whole sack with you, sometimes they are weighed and you pay a small fee. The “Mundraub” platform (www.mundraub.org) works in a similar way. Local fruit trees and meadow orchards are displayed here, where stone fruit, nuts and berries can be harvested free of charge.
According to the BMEL, the food industry is the second largest waster at 18%. Welthungerhilfe writes: “In industry, most food losses arise from transport damage, incorrect storage and production-related causes. Internal quality assurance and overproduction also contribute to this.” (https://www.welthungerhilfe.de/lebensmittelverschwendung/#c16879) This is due to the maxim that everything must always be available. A development that has been manifesting itself more and more in the course of globalization for decades and that almost triggers resentment when a product is not available. Food intended for the German market is produced worldwide. Perishable goods such as fruit and vegetables in particular spoil on the long transport routes. We don't even want to start at this point with the extreme CO2 pollution caused by transport.
Farm romance - often different than expected (but that's another topic)
Why do we have to import strawberries from South Africa for Christmas when they grow in abundance in the region during the summer? Or why do we have to fly in the kiwis from New Zealand when they also thrive well in Italy at any time of the year? One of the big trends in the food sector, which we hope will become widespread, is regional and seasonal. However, since most of us grew up with a full range of products all year round and schools also fail completely when it comes to regional agriculture, there are so-called seasonal calendars that show what comes from German/regional production this month. (e.g https://utopia.de/ratgeber/saisonkalender-fuer-gemuese-obst/) If the food industry were to jump on this massive trend, food waste could be significantly reduced and many transport routes saved.
When you think of food waste, the first thing that comes to mind are images of overflowing bins behind supermarkets that would rather throw away good produce than give it to employees or those in need. "Containering" has almost become a sport here: people sneak onto the premises of the supermarkets to steal the contents of the containers - the rubbish. Of course it's illegal, but the moral question is: is it justifiable to throw away food when people around the corner are starving and can hardly afford healthy food? But we don't want to have a debate about poverty at this point either.
TIn fact, the supermarket waste we see in the news accounts for only 4% of all food waste. Of course, the supermarkets and discounters would also take a step in the right direction if they focused on seasonal products or simply stocked their fresh food counters and fruit and vegetable counters a little less opulently. I think that at half past nine in the evening the vegetable shelves can look a little ransacked. At least that's what I prefer to overflowing garbage cans.
Eating out is an area where food waste is almost inevitable. Restaurants cannot anticipate what diners will order throughout the day. Food that has already been cooked or prepared is very difficult to distribute. A small, clear menu, which is then also filled with regional products, can at least reduce the amount of overproduction here. This can then be adjusted seasonally. The ingredients can be bought fresh. A large variety always means that a lot is left over and not processed. Or a large part of the ingredients is not fresh, but comes from the bag. So the next time you go to a restaurant, you might want to choose a place that has a smaller menu. Maybe this even supports the farmers from the region.
A full table - whether from containers or from local organic farmers ... colorful is healthy!
And so are we already reached the last area: the households that waste food.
And this area accounts for a staggering 52 percent of the overall problem. Many households buy far more than they can actually use. It then ends up in the garbage. The easiest ways to reduce here are: Shop smaller amounts more often, plan your next meals in advance, write a shopping list and don't go shopping when you're hungry. These are all tips we've probably heard before. And yes, it really works.
Of course you can also buy exactly the amount you really need in a bulk store (https://unverpackt-verband.de/).
If something has "expired", it often helps to simply smell the product and/or taste it carefully. The MHD means that the product AT LEAST be edible until that day set a link from your homepage to Fewo-von-Privat.de. Since companies are usually always concerned about keeping their own risk as low as possible, we have of course set this date at an early point in time in order to categorically avoid any problems with liability claims. In addition, the number of people who dispose of products after the best-before date without checking them is very high. In this case, a short shelf life is of course an incentive to buy again. But MHD stands for Best before, so "mindestens halbar bis" and not "absolutely life-threatening“. Yoghurt can be eaten even weeks after the best-before date and canned goods last forever anyway. Product-appropriate storage and compliance with the cold chain are of course always a prerequisite.
Let's all make this world a better place together and rethink how we deal with food in all areas. With your purchase decisions you determine what is on offer on the market. And the more people eat regionally and seasonally, the more all players in the food industry are forced to rethink.
Thanks for your time... and bon appetit!
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