As our world changes, the environment is increasingly under threat. Trees themselves are a key weapon against climate change, but what impact do they have? And why do we talk about wasted food in terms of planting an equivalent number of trees? Here’s our quick guide to the environmental benefit trees have on climate change.
How trees protect the planet
Trees are a crucial natural element of life on earth. When trees grow, they take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen into the air, so the more trees there are on the earth, the more carbon is stored in trunks, roots, deadwood and soil.
So, when forests are cleared, the stored carbon is released into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide, which contributes to the ‘greenhouse’ effect. The more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the warmer our planet becomes, causing our ice caps to melt and sea levels to rise.
How does wasting food relate to trees?
Wasting food has a greater impact on the environment than just the methane released when it rots in landfills. Food production is a driver of global deforestation. Producing food requires a substantial amount of water, energy, soil, and time – not to mention the distance much of it travels to get to our plates! When we waste food, all those resources are wasted as well.
The carbon impact of producing the food we waste is, therefore, a key factor in our changing climate. For example, in UK homes, we waste 4.4 million potatoes every single day; over a whole year, producing that many potatoes generates the equivalent of 330,000 tonnes of CO2e.
It would take 5.4 million trees being planted to capture that much carbon dioxide, showing what a significant impact not wasting food can have.
Simple actions can make a big difference in reducing how much food is wasted – take a look at our top tips to get started.