研究人员发表在《自然食品》上的最新研究指出，塑料污染应成为食物浪费管理的核心关注事项。[1]全球每年约三分之一的食物被浪费，[1]美国40%的食物废弃物进入垃圾填埋场，每年产生3000万公吨二氧化碳当量。[1]
虽然将食物浪费从垃圾填埋场转移至其他处理方式能减少89%-99%的气候影响，[1]但这一转变带来了新的环境威胁。研究发现，即使塑料分离技术的效率达到99%，这种转移仍可能导致土壤中的微塑料污染增加一个数量级，每年可能有2万吨微塑料污染美国农业土壤。[1]
佛蒙特州已通过《通用回收法》采取行动，自2020年起完全生效，禁止食物残渣进入垃圾箱。[1]
Research published in Nature Food has identified plastic contamination as a critical but neglected concern in food waste management strategies. [1] While redirecting food waste from landfills to alternative processing methods can reduce climate impact by 89-99%, the study found that even with 99% plastic separation efficiency, such diversion could increase microplastic pollution in soil by an order of magnitude. [1] The research suggests that approximately 20,000 tonnes of microplastics could contaminate U.S. agricultural soil annually through these alternative waste management pathways. [1]
The findings emerge against a backdrop of substantial food waste globally, with roughly one-third of all food wasted each year. [1] In the United States, 40% of food waste enters landfills, generating 30 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent annually. [1] Vermont's Universal Recycling Law, which has been fully in effect since 2020, prohibits food scraps from being disposed of in regular waste bins, exemplifying the growing push toward alternative food waste management approaches. [1] The research underscores that while these diversion strategies effectively address climate concerns, policymakers must now grapple with the unintended consequence of microplastic accumulation in soils used for agriculture. [1]