Journal of Korea Society of Waste Management (한국폐기물자원순환학회지)

Korea Society of Waste Management (한국폐기물자원순환학회)
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Monitoring and Strategies for the Reduction of Household Food Waste

가정에서의 음식물쓰레기 배출 모니터링 및 저감방안

  • Jeon, Tae-Wan (Resource Recirculation Research Division, National Institute of Environmental Research) ;
  • Kim, Yong-Jun (Resource Recirculation Research Division, National Institute of Environmental Research) ;
  • Jeong, Mi-Jeong (Resource Recirculation Research Division, National Institute of Environmental Research) ;
  • Shin, Sun-Kyoung (Resource Recirculation Research Division, National Institute of Environmental Research) ;
  • Jeong, Yong-Woo (Resource Recirculation Research Division, National Institute of Environmental Research) ;
  • Park, Jong-Eun (Resource Recirculation Research Division, National Institute of Environmental Research) ;
  • Oh, Gil-Jong (Resource Recirculation Research Division, National Institute of Environmental Research)
  • 전태완 (국립환경과학원 자원순환연구과) ;
  • 김용준 (국립환경과학원 자원순환연구과) ;
  • 정미정 (국립환경과학원 자원순환연구과) ;
  • 신선경 (국립환경과학원 자원순환연구과) ;
  • 정용우 (국립환경과학원 자원순환연구과) ;
  • 박종은 (국립환경과학원 자원순환연구과) ;
  • 오길종 (국립환경과학원 자원순환연구과)
  • Received : 2013.03.12
  • Accepted : 2013.10.01
  • Published : 2013.12.31
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Abstract

In spite of the government's various efforts to reduce food waste, the food waste in Korea has increased about 3% every year, mainly due to the growing population, number of households, and income. Food waste occurs in the processes of production, transportation, distribution, storage and cooking of food ingredients. However, there has been little reliable data about how households - a major food waste source - store and treat their food and how much food waste they produce. In this regard, we thought it was important to understand the exact amount and characteristics of food waste from households in order to reduce the country's food waste, which is why we monitored kinds, storage periods, treatment, and waste of food consumed in 100 households in the Seoul metropolitan area. Households normally store their food ingredients in refrigerators - on average 33 kinds and 35 kg of food are stored - and some of them stayed there for up to 3 years. Moreover, not a small portion of the food is thrown away nearly untouched, mostly because people tend to purchase too much food at one time or they don't know or miss their expiration dates. The amounts of food waste by type were in the order of vegetable > side dish > frozen food > fruit > seasoning. Also, we suggest effective and realistic measures to reduce food waste and promote a more desirable food consumption culture.

Keywords

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