Keep Walking With Dr. Bill: A Bus Stop, a Walk, and a Lesson in Food Waste
While walking through Arlington, Virginia recently, one of my favorite daily habits as part of Keep Walking With Dr. Bill, I came across a bus stop poster that stopped me in my tracks. It was not an advertisement. It was not a political message. It was a bright, clear reminder of something many of us overlook:
“Avoid Food Waste.”
Simple. Direct. Powerful.
The poster listed ten steps: make a grocery list, eat your leftovers, freeze food, compost scraps, and so on. At first glance, it looked like a helpful guide for saving money and reducing trash. But the more I stood there, the more I saw it for what it truly was. It was a public health call to action.
And I realized we need to talk more about this.
- Hunger exists alongside abundance.
Each year, about one-third of all food produced across the world is wasted. Meanwhile, millions of people, including more than forty-four million individuals living in the United States, go to bed hungry. The issue is not only about producing more food. It is about wasting less and being more intentional with the food we already have.
Feeding America, the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States, rescued over 3.6 billion pounds of surplus food in 2023 and distributed it through a network of food banks. This redirected food that would have gone to landfills now supports families who might otherwise go without a meal.
2. Food waste contributes to climate change.
When food ends up in landfills and begins to rot, it releases methane gas, a greenhouse gas far more potent than carbon dioxide. This intensifies climate change, which in turn disrupts agriculture, destroys livelihoods, and increases food prices. Reducing food waste is one way we can interrupt this dangerous cycle.
In South Korea, the city of Seoul introduced a mandatory composting policy using smart bins that weigh and charge residents based on food waste. As a result, Seoul has reduced landfill food waste by over 95 percent since 2013, drastically cutting methane emissions and supporting urban farming with compost.
3. Communities with fewer resources suffer the most.
In many cities, high-end grocery stores discard perfectly edible food while nearby neighborhoods struggle with access to healthy meals. This is not just inefficient. It is unjust. Addressing food waste is a critical step in correcting structural inequalities in health and nutrition.
In London, The Felix Project collects surplus food from restaurants, grocery stores, and wholesalers, and redistributes it to low-income schools, shelters, and community kitchens. In 2022, it delivered over 30 million meals, many to neighborhoods with limited access to affordable fresh food.
4. Children learn by watching us.
That sign in Arlington was not just for adults. It was for young people who see how we shop, cook, eat, and clean up. Teaching them to respect food, to read date labels, and to value leftovers is as important as teaching them to wash their hands or brush their teeth.
In Kenya, the Food for Education program provides affordable, nutritious meals to schoolchildren using locally sourced ingredients. Part of the curriculum includes food literacy, teaching students how food is grown, why it matters, and how to reduce waste at home and school.
5. Walking gives us perspective.
I started Keep Walking With Dr. Bill to encourage both physical movement and mindful reflection. That day in Arlington reminded me that walking is not only good for physical health. It helps us notice the world around us. A thirty-minute walk turned into a moment of public health awareness.
In Bogotá, Colombia, the weekly Ciclovía turns major roads into car-free walking and cycling paths every Sunday. This initiative has sparked community education pop-ups, including food sustainability workshops and public health screenings, allowing citizens to learn and connect while on foot.
One habit at a time
The final message on the poster summed it up perfectly:
“Save money, conserve resources — one habit at a time.”
Whether you are walking through your neighborhood or planning your next grocery trip, your daily choices matter. Reducing food waste does not require a degree in public health. It only requires awareness, commitment, and the willingness to make one small change at a time.
