One of the most popular and creative uses of upcycling involves the movement to reuse food. This may seem odd on first instinct, but there is a reasonable and effective method behind upcycling food that makes it ideal for many reasons.
Essentially, upcycled food is just preservation of food that would have otherwise been wasted. It also includes ingredients used to make food that would have been wasted and not eaten. It is likely that over 1 billion tons in mass of food are wasted annually. This is an incredible number, as it accounts for around 30% of food produced around the world. Not only is this wasteful, with there being plenty of viable potential uses for the food, but it also contributes to the emission of greenhouse gasses, as rotten and unused food releases a significant amount of methane into the atmosphere.
A large portion of the traction behind food upcycling also comes from the fact that businesses, too, are harmed by the waste of food that occurs. Wasting food takes a cut at potential profits and also spikes inflation across the general market. Companies are also finding that more and more consumers are becoming conscious of business’ environmental practices, making an action such as upcycling a great selling point. There are even restaurants and grocery stores that have opened recently entirely dedicated to upcycling. This includes smoothie shops and cafes that use only upcycled fruit for their products. Other brands are starting in wake of the upcycling movement as well, such as non-dairy milk brands using only upcycled oats and grains to form a milk substitute.
It is safe to say that upcycling in general is here to stay. People are realizing that not only is it environmentally friendly, but that it has some incredible practical uses such as making food.