Les Riley’s Post

I have a morbid fascination with how wastewater is covered in the press. I came across this article in the Guardian today and it's a good example of misleading headlines. The focus here is on Tyson Foods. From the headline, "Revealed: Tyson Foods dumps millions of pounds of toxic pollutants into US rivers and lakes," you would expect that the watchdog caught Tyson in the middle of some malicious toxic waste dumping, but curiously the report never mentioned that they even had a violation. Doing math, Tyson's 6 year average effluent from all their facilities was: BOD - 21 mg/l Total Dissolved Solids - 113 mg/l Total Phosphorous - 7 mg/l Total Nitrogen - 47 mg/l These numbers look like decent effluent values from industrial facilities that are not required to remove nutrients. From an environmental perspective, stricter rules on nitrogen and phosphorous could have environmental benefits, but it doesn't look like there is actually anything inappropriate going on here. '15M lbs of BOD' seems egregious, but that's over 6 years, from several facilities and at an average concentration of 21 mg/l. Naming and shaming companies that appear to be complying with regulations doesn't help the environment. Exposing actual bad actors or lobbying government for more protective limits could though. https://lnkd.in/exHTV2nH

Food Waste: Here’s How to Cut Your Footprint. By Lena Beck FEB 22, 2024 Experts tips for reeling in unnecessary waste. ”The biggest share of wasted food comes from households across the country. In 2022, food waste cost the US $428 billion. Nearly half—48.2 percent—of the country’s uneaten or unused food occurs at the household level.” Use this tool to research current food waste policy at the federal and state levels and to discover best practices and recommendations for policy improvements that will support more food waste prevention, rescue and recycling.

𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝗴𝗴𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘆𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗱𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 French health authorities have reiterated warnings to millions of residents not to eat eggs from domestic coops in the Île de France region. This advisory follows a recent study confirming the contamination of soil and eggs with persistent chemicals and toxins. The agency states in a press release that there is pervasive contamination of soil and eggs from domestic chicken farms in Paris and the inner suburbs. This contamination involves persistent organic pollutants (POPs) such as dioxins, furans, polychlorinated biphenyls, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (commonly known as PFAS or forever chemicals). Per- or poly-fluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) encompass a broad category of thousands of intricate synthetic chemicals. These substances find application in numerous products, ranging from non-stick frying pans to toiletries, food packaging, and firefighting foams. #Healthadvisory #Chemicals #pollution #pfas #pollutants

Millions in France warned not to eat eggs from backyard chickens due to forever chemical pollution. Scientists say that hens foraging on polluted soil is the root cause of the problem. French health authorities have reiterated warnings to millions of residents not to eat eggs from domestic coops in the Île de France region. The warning comes after a new study confirmed that soil and eggs are contaminated by forever chemicals and toxins. A precautionary warning first came in February 2022 for certain areas of the region. This precaution was then expanded to the whole region in May 2023 following a preliminary investigation. The results of that study were confirmed and released this week leading the authority to confirm its warning. It covers the 410 municipalities which make up the urban area of Paris (including Paris, all the municipalities of Seine-Saint-Denis, Hauts-de-Seine, Val-de-Marne, certain municipalities of Seine-et-Marne, Yvelines, Essonne and Val-d'Oise). Tests by ToxicoWatch Foundation in 2022 found very high levels of dioxins in domestic backyard chicken coops near the largest waste incinerator in Europe, located in Paris. Authorities have now carried out their own research in 25 hen houses and confirmed their initial warning. There is "ubiquitous [widespread] contamination of soil and eggs from domestic chicken farms in Paris and the inner suburbs by persistent organic pollutants [POPs]" such as dioxins, furans, polychlorinated biphenyls and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (known as Pfas or forever chemicals), the agency explains in a press release. What are PFAS or ‘forever chemicals’? Per- or poly-fluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) is the name given to thousands of complex man-made chemicals. They are used in everything from non-stick frying pans to toiletries, food packaging and firefighting foams. They have been a threat to public health since the 1950s when the number of uses, names and applications for this group of chemicals quickly began to grow. PFAS are known as forever chemicals because they persist in the environment for an incredibly long time. https://lnkd.in/dJgcYhDs #poultryindustry #poultryfarming #eggs #pfas #pfasfree

Federal attention on #WastedFood is reinforcing the strengths of Divert's solutions. Don't miss this Waste Dive Q&A with Divert VP of Public Affairs Chris Thomas to learn: ♻️ How Divert integrates the EPA's most preferred solutions 🏆 Why standalone anaerobic digestion is the best approach for commercial and industrial wasted food 🥫 Why depackaging is critical to soil health 📍 How our nationwide customer base is fueling our expansion 💡 And more... https://lnkd.in/eyqDVybc #ProtectingTheValueOfFood #FoodWaste US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

"Four objectives are set forth in the draft strategy: Preventing the loss of food where possible; Preventing the waste of food where possible; Increasing the recycling rate for all organic waste; and Supporting policies that incentivize and encourage FLW prevention and organics recycling." It's hopeful to see these organizations spearheading this initiative. At Neighborhood Compost we've had "boots on the ground" in composting and food rescue efforts since 2020. #foodwaste #foodwastereduction

Did you know a new mandatory food waste separation law is due to be enforced? Businesses will be required to separate food waste from other rubbish streams - this means that companies must store food waste in separate bins and arrange collection by licensed waste carriers. Read more: https://lnkd.in/ekaCt-RA #food #legislation #waste #commercial #recycle #ukbusinesses

DID YOU KNOW: Americans waste a staggering amount of food, discarding nearly 60 million tons annually, representing almost 40 percent of the entire US food supply, with an estimated value of nearly $218 billion. Moreover, #foodwaste is the largest component in US landfills, comprising 22 percent of municipal solid waste.  Several US states, including California, Connecticut, and Vermont, have enacted laws to restrict food waste going to landfills, while national efforts by the USDA and US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) aim to reduce food waste by half by 2030. The environmental impact of food waste, including water and energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, underscores the urgency for concerted action to address this pressing issue.   IFG Asset Management remains dedicated to supporting initiatives that reduce waste, promote sustainability, and contribute to a circular economy through our impact-focused advisory and investment practices.   #Waste #WasteManagement #Recycling #Recycle #Reduce #Reuse #Plastics #Commodities #CommodityProducer #PET #Glass #Paper #Aluminum #Upcycle #NoWaste #EcoFriendly #Agriculture #Food #FoodProcessing #AgTech #FoodTech #AgriBusiness #Livestock #Feedstock #Grain #Wheat #Producer #CommodityProducer #Commodities #Dairy #Ingredients #FoodAndBeverage #Beverage #CoPackers #Storage #Distribution #Logistics #FoodSupply #FoodSecurity #FoodScarcity #Water #Farming #Farm #RuralAmerica #Rural #SoilManagement #WaterManagement 

Greenconflict Food waste refers to edible food that is discarded at various stages of the supply chain. This can occur during production, processing, retail, and consumption. Approximately one-third of all food produced for human consumption ends up as waste. #foodwaste #foodscarcity #foodproduction #farming #sustainablefarming #supplychain #greenconflict #sustainability #foodsecutiry #overproduction #waste #responsiblefoodsupply #biodiversityloss #consumerbehaviour

In a new jointly released draft strategy, USDA, US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and FDA outline goals and solutions related to food loss and waste, which may have far-reaching implications for the food supply chain. Read here: https://ow.ly/cinK50QgOz3