The climate impacts of producing building materials, plastics, and food

This briefing from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) details a panel discussion on reducing upstream greenhouse gas emissions from the production of building materials, plastics, and food, with a specific focus on food waste reduction and diversion strategies.

• Federal support for reducing food waste can be achieved through funding for state and local governments implementing innovative programs, as a national ban on food in landfills would be legally possible but difficult to implement due to the lead role of states and localities in waste management.
• State-level policy variability in areas such as date labeling and restrictions on feeding scraps to animals can be counterproductive and lead to increased food waste.
• Significant emissions reductions can be achieved through consumer-focused efforts, such as reducing portion sizes and education, provided these are long-term initiatives.
• Food waste contributes to environmental and racial injustices, as landfills and composting sites are often located in low-income neighborhoods, and the burdens of food production sites are not shared equally.
• Technological and policy innovations to reduce waste include the application of machine learning to track food movement and the potential for an ENERGY STAR-type certification to unlock funding.

APA

Environmental and Energy Study Institute (2021). The climate impacts of producing building materials, plastics, and food. https://www.eesi.org/briefings/view/121021waste

Chicago

Environmental and Energy Study Institute. The climate impacts of producing building materials, plastics, and food. 2021. https://www.eesi.org/briefings/view/121021waste.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |title=The climate impacts of producing building materials, plastics, and food |date=10 December 2021 |url=https://www.eesi.org/briefings/view/121021waste |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{environmentalandenergystudyinstitute2021climate, author = {{Environmental and Energy Study Institute}}, title = {{The climate impacts of producing building materials, plastics, and food}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2021}, month = dec, url = {https://www.eesi.org/briefings/view/121021waste}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }