Wasted! The Story of Food Waste

This unexpectedly lively and upbeat documentary about food waste begins with globetrotting chef Anthony Bourdain complaining that he hates the whole idea of the film. Why? Because he'd rather take a darker, harsher, and more scolding tone about the destructiveness of food waste on the environment, economics, and the world's starving population. But filmmakers Anna Chai and Nari Kye opt to focus on what is being done around the world to combat the issue, although they do share some scary statistics and facts, including: 40% of food production in the U.S. ends up in landfills, the average family spends $1,500 a year on food that is eventually tossed out, and landfills create an enormous amount of methane gas that contributes to climate change. Co-executive producer Bourdain articulates a core value of his kitchen career: waste nothing, use everything. That approach to cooking would address much of the problem of food waste, and several famous chefs (Dan Barber and Mario Bartali among them) here pick up the theme, demonstrating how every part of vegetables and animals can be turned into something delicious. Viewers also see ingenious methods for recycling waste (the unused whey from the production of Greek yogurt can generate methane, which can then be used to power the factory) and for encouraging people to cut back on discarded food (in South Korea, one is charged for kilos of kitchen waste). In one segment, an activist named Christopher Collins reveals how he globalized a recipe for making beer from, among other things, unused bread—with the profits going toward anti-waste projects. Wasted! is a foodie film with a vision and purpose. Extras include bonus interviews and behind-the-scenes featurettes. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (T. Keogh)