Food waste is a growing problem in countries around the world, causing environmental damage and affecting global resources. As such, solutions to help reduce food waste are always welcomed. One such solution is the Mill’s ambitious smart trash can which functions as a disposal bin with a built-in scanner that can detect the type of food item being thrown out, and alert food retailers in the area of any excess food that can be salvaged.
On the surface, the idea appears to be a great way to reduce food waste and combat the growing problem worldwide, however, it is not the complete solution that it is billed as. While the Mill’s smart trash can can detect what food is being thrown out, it fails to tackle the fundamental issue; why food is being wasted in the first place.
Food waste is increasingly becoming a problem in the modern era because of lifestyle changes caused by convenience and the prevalence of packaged food products. With pre-packaged meals, snacks and treats being so readily available, there is less need to create meals from scratch, and more opportunity for excess food to be created.
The smart trash can merely detects the food waste, without addressing the root cause as to why it is being created. It is not able to calculate consumption habits and predict how much food should be purchased for a particular household or family, or how much food should be thrown away.
Furthermore, it cannot monitor the overall amount of food waste that can be salvaged. It may be able to detect that there is food being thrown away, but without accounting for the entire population of food retailers in the area, it will not be able to accurately predict just how much food waste can be salvaged.
In addition, there is the issue of food safety. There is a certain amount of risk associated with salvaging food that has been thrown away, as there is no way of telling if it is safe to eat. There needs to be strict protocols in place for how salvaged food should be handled, or else there is the potential of foodborne illnesses.
Ultimately, while the Mill’s ambitious smart trash can may be a great step towards reducing food waste, it is not the complete solution that it is advertised as. To truly solve the food waste problem, there needs to be more than just an effective detection system. There needs to be an overall shift in attitude towards food consumption, and improved policy and protocols for the safe salvaging and handling of wasted food.
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