For many people, leftovers are the best part of Thanksgiving. But despite the Tupperware and tinfoil that can keep the grub for longer, there is still a lot of waste that’s generated from this food-centered holiday.
In fact, it’s an estimated 316 million pounds nationwide.
The tradition of a Thanksgiving meal goes back generations with staples like a cooked turkey, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, and stuffing. But many of us know the holiday can include a stuffed trashcan, and the impact on the landfill when it comes to food waste is high.
To learn more, Scripps News Las Vegas reached out to Las Vegas Compost founder Yusuf Gallardo, who said reducing food waste is an easy thing locals can do to reduce harm to the environment.
"I always thought food waste when it goes to the landfill it just turns to dirt, but what people don't realize is, with all the plastics and all the things that are in landfills, only, the food waste that's on the very, very tops of the piles actually turn into what you would consider breaking down," Gallardo said.
"Effectively, everything underneath that does not get oxygen, and so when it breaks down without oxygen, it's called anaerobic. And what happens then is it releases a ton of methane gas, and that goes into the environment. It's very bad for our for our planet."
Methane is one of the most powerful greenhouse gases that contributes to atmospheric warming. According to the nonprofit Refed, 2024’s Thanksgiving scraps will produce nearly five thousand tons of methane in landfills, the equivalent of powering 26,000 homes for a year.
Gallardo said the statistics about food waste and pollution inspired him into action a little over a year ago.
“I got a big green trailer that goes on the back of this [vehicle], I'd say probably it's 25 homes in a day on one single route. So here's one of our buckets," Gallardo said.
Every week, five-gallon buckets are filled up by customers with scraps like egg shells and coffee grounds, then picked up by Gallardo and delivered to local composting facility Terra Firm where the waste is broken down into soil.
Making an impact
For the amount of food waste this Thanksgiving, it's estimated more than 47 million people could be fed.
If you want to reduce your waste during the holidays, here are a few tips.
- If you’re going to a big get-together, bring a container for leftovers to take home.
- Recycle and check out the composting options in the valley, there are more than you think!
- Utilize the freezer! Many leftovers can be kept for future recipes longer under colder temperatures.
- Donate unopened cans to local food banks.
This story was originally published by Geneva Zoltek at Scripps News Las Vegas.
