Ch. 17 Sustainability Flashcards
(30 cards)
Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Sustainability
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Department of Energy
set standards for energy efficient products (most energy-efficient = Energy Star)
Includes:
- Purchasing energy-efficient equipment
- Heating and cooling equipment should be well insulated
- Using equipment properly
- Maintaining equipment
- Idling or turning off equipment when not in use
Energy conservation/management for foodservice equipment
Use energy efficient light bulbs
- Replace incandescent with LEDs
Put in occupancy sensors
Install systems which adjust indoor lighting to ambient light coming in from the outside
Set up daylighting systems which harvest sunlight for indoor use
Energy conservation/management for lighting
In most jurisdictions consumers pay for water three times
When it is purchased
To heat or cool it
To dispose of and treat wastewater
Low flow valves in sinks
Sensor faucets
Low flow toilets
Hot water recirculating systems
Tankless water heaters
Ways to reduce water use
A machine that uses large amounts of water as it grinds solid waste and discharges it into the sewer system
- Creates a burden on both water distribution systems and wastewater treatment
- New installations are banned in some cities; taxed heavily in others
garbage disposal
A machine that grinds solid waste, then extracts the solids so that only the water is discharged into the sewer system
- Less impact on wastewater treatment, since solids are not put into the system
- Newer ones recirculate the water, so less water is sent to the treatment plant
pulper
A device that is used in dishwashing areas of foodservice that sprays water on dirty dishes to remove waste that is left on plates, before the dishes are washed
- Newer versions are as effective at pre-rinsing as older models, but use about half of the water
- Often available at little or no cost to encourage water conservation
Prerinse nozzle
With older dishwashers, always run them with full loads
Some newer models recirculate water
If buying a new dishwasher, Energy Star standards address both energy and water conservation
Energy-efficient booster heaters are ancillary to high temperature dishwashers
Warewashing
Changes in packaging
Recycling
Food recovery
Waste Management:
Strategies to divert waste materials from landfills
Use less packaging overall
By in bulk, not in PC containers
Choose reusable packaging
e.g. plastic milk crates
Specify packaging that is recyclable
e.g. cardboard
Specify compostable packaging
Made from organic materials such as rice
reducing use of raw materials through changes in packaging
Changes waste materials into new products
- Paper, cardboard, glass, metals and some plastics can be recycled
- Batteries, toner cartridges, and electronics are also recyclable
Waste Management: Recycling
- Source reduction
- Feed hungry people
- Feed animals
- Industrial Uses
- Composting
- Landfill/Incineration
Waste Management:
Food Recovery Hierarchy
- Conduct a waste audit to determine what and how much food is being wasted
- Identify methods to reduce the waste which may include:
Changing the menu
Reducing portion size
Better inventory management
Improved production forecasting
Repurposing excess food products
Source Reduction
(Food Recovery Hierarchy)
- When possible, donate food to food banks
- Distribute perishable foods to nonprofits which feed hungry people in the local area
- Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act - Track donations for use in future waste audits
Feed hungry people
(Food Recovery Hierarchy)
Donations can be made directly to farmers
Donations can also be made to zoos
Food scraps can be used by producers of animal feed
Regulations for donating food scraps to feed animals vary form state to state
Feed animals
(Food Recovery Hierarchy)
Food waste conversion technology uses anaerobic digestion to produce a soil amendment and biogas
Can be used for pre- and postconsumer food waste
Fats, oils, and grease can also be
Converted to biodiesel fuel
Can be used as ingredients for soap and cosmetics
Industrial Uses
(Food Recovery Hierarchy)
The decomposition of organic material (such as plant and food waste) into a material that can be used either to enhance soil or as a fertilizer
- Plant material can be composted almost anywhere
- High protein food waste must be composted at rural sites because it attracts vermin (rodents)
- Biodegradable packaging and service ware may be compostable in some composting facilities
Composting
(Food Recovery Hierarchy)
A site designated as a dumping area for waste generated by a community
- The remaining food waste can be diverted to the landfill after all the other food recovery strategies have been implemented
- Those strategies can reduce food waste in landfills by 80%
Landfill/Incineration
(Food Recovery Hierarchy)
The geographic region from which a community is fed
- Advances in farming, transportation, food processing and refrigeration have made it possible for foods to be distributed all over the world
- Trend is to return to local sourcing of food
Foodshed
Products, largely food, that have been certified by the USDA as meeting the standards sent by the National Organics Program
- Food production in this manner is environmentally friendly
- Since certification is expensive, some organic farmers are not able to label their products as certified organic
Organic
Plants that have been created by transplanting a gene from a different species into the plant (via biotechnology)
- cannot be labeled organic
- can be engineered to resist cold and or drought
- herbicide-resistant crops decrease soil erosion and reduce the use of fossil fuels
- can and should be part of a sustainable foods system
Transgenic plants
Area of concern regarding:
- Mistreatment of animals may compromise food safety
- Overuse of antibiotics in concentrated feeding operations leads to development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria
Animal welfare
