Ecologue

Food waste is one of the biggest  forms of waste out there. It’s been said that if food waste were a country, it would be the third largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, right behind China and the US.

But everyone needs to eat, and world hunger is still an issue. Today, I’ll take you through some creative culinary tactics to correct this situation.

Bug Bites: Insects as a food source

While the thought of eating an insect might make you want to gag, the United Nations would encourage you to try any of the 1,900 edible insect species on the planet.

A report published by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization notes several benefits to bringing bugs to the dinner plate, including higher protein content (for lower fat), efficient space and materials use, and lower greenhouse gas emissions.

Recycle bins that feed stray dogs

Stray animals are a common part of life in larger cities, and with them are a whole array of problems, such as how to feed the roaming dogs and cats. That’s where Turkish company Pugedon stepped in with an idea to fix this while promoting sustainability: recycling bins that feed the animals.

In exchange for cans and bottles, the recycling bins dispense dog food into dishes built into the bottom of the vending machine-sized bins. There’s even a bowl for users to dump leftover water into.

The recycling bins are planned to be placed around Istanbul, which has roughly 150,000 stray animals that coexist with the city’s population of 14 million.

This post is part of the “Reedcycler’s Believe it or Not” blog series, which showcases weird waste-related stories. Tune in on Mondays each week for more.