According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in 2009, at 34 million tons, food waste represented the second largest part of the U.S. solid waste stream.

The largest piece of that pie graph is paper and paperboard, which personally drives me batty, but that’s another story for another time.

Red Wiggler (Pic | Christian Guthier)

Though it’s the second largest solid waste item, food waste is the “single largest component…reaching landfills and incinerators.” When you think about the amount of resources (economic and natural) that go into agriculture, food production, consumption, and the end of the stream, then add into it the number of people in the United States that are going hungry for lack of some of that food, I find 34 million tons of food waste in one year to be unacceptable.

So what’s one person to do? While I admit that I can’t find a solution for all 34 million tons of the stuff, I can certainly do something to mitigate the contribution made by my family to that amount.

Anyone that knows us (that would be me, my husband, Will, and our son, Jack) knows that we are a family who loves fresh food and lovingly preparing it for enthusiastic consumption. We buy our produce and meats with intention and enthusiasm. As a result, very little of what goes into the refrigerator goes uneaten and needs to be tossed into the garbage.

Since we don’t have to be concerned with wasting food, we can move onto food waste–the scraps and peels left behind as a result of food preparation.

And this is where you get to say hello to my little friends.

This is the Red Wiggler family, and they do me an enormous favor: they eat my garbage! Or at least part of it, anyway. They are the ultimate healthy food consumers, with a not-terribly-healthy penchant for a caffeine fix.

To some, these may appear nothing more than blood worms used for lures or earthworms happily dug up by small children. I assure you, they are much more. These little guys/gals are as enthusiastic about their food consumption as my family–they even have their own tastes to take into consideration.

Happy Composting (Pic | wikimedia.org)

Enjoy banana pancakes? Those banana peels can be pretty tasty. Coffee grounds? Gone in what seems like overnight. And don’t get me started on how much they enjoy melon rinds.

Do not, however, even think about adding onions to the mix. Place them in one corner, and soon you’ll find the worms massed at the point farthest from them. And while these guys enjoy the odd citrus, please be sure to include some eggshells to balance out the pH or you could create quite a sticky situation for them.

Think you need a lot of money, space, or expertise to start your own food-waste-reduction program? Think again. For around $50 you can get yourself started. Only a few things are needed to make a good worm compost: a bin (standard Rubbermaid bin will do), bedding (clean dirt), red wigglers, and worm food (your kitchen scraps). You’ll want to start small with food at first, and then gradually increase the amount. The more food you provide, the more worms. The more worms, the faster the breakdown. The faster the breakdown, the more compost you’ll receive. Your plants will be most grateful for the super-duper vitamin boost fed to them through your homemade compost.

You can inexpensively and easily make your own worm compost bin (fancily called a vermicomposter) or spend a little more locally to purchase one ready-made from our friends at Green Alternatives.

Happy composting!