Editing Urbanization (section)

=== Food waste ===
Rapid growth of communities creates new challenges in the developed world and one such challenge is an increase in [[food waste]]<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Thyberg|first1=Krista L.|last2=Tonjes|first2=David J.|date=2016|title=Drivers of food waste and their implications for sustainable policy development|url=https://www.tib.eu/en/search/id/tema:TEMA20151218325/Drivers-of-food-waste-and-their-implications-for/|journal=Resources, Conservation and Recycling|volume=106|pages=110–123|doi=10.1016/j.resconrec.2015.11.016|bibcode=2016RCR...106..110T |s2cid=30784882 |issn=0921-3449|access-date=31 October 2018|archive-date=27 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191227062136/https://www.tib.eu/en/search/id/tema:TEMA20151218325/Drivers-of-food-waste-and-their-implications-for/|url-status=live}}</ref> also known as urban food waste.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.inderscience.com/info/inarticle.php?artid=24696|title=Article: "Urban Food Waste generation: challenges and opportunities" Journal: Int. J. of Environment and Waste Management, 2009 Vol.3 No.1/2 pp.4 - 21 Abstract: Greater economic activity and a wider economic gap between rural and urban areas is leading to accelerated urbanisation and the generation of 35% more Urban Food Waste (UFW) from 2007 to 2025. Besides landfilling, this paper examines the advantages of introducing onsite composting and anaerobic digestion for the environmental recycling of UFW and the lowering of handling cost. For Asia and Africa, these solutions for UFW could reduce the mass of MSW by 43% and 55%, respectively, thus help there cities manage almost all of their MSW. For North America and Europe, such practice could reduce earth warming trends. - Inderscience Publishers - linking academia, business and industry through research|website=inderscience.com|access-date=2018-10-07|archive-date=1 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181101015658/https://www.inderscience.com/info/inarticle.php?artid=24696|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":02">{{Cite journal|last1=Adhikari|first1=Bijaya K.|last2=Barrington|first2=Suzelle|last3=Martinez|first3=José|date=October 2006|title=Predicted growth of world urban food waste and methane production|journal=Waste Management & Research|volume=24|issue=5|pages=421–433|doi=10.1177/0734242X06067767|issn=0734-242X|pmid=17121114|bibcode=2006WMR....24..421A |s2cid=34299202}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Adhikari|first1=Bijaya K.|last2=Barrington|first2=Suzelle F.|last3=Martinez|first3=Jose|date=2009|title=Urban Food Waste generation: challenges and opportunities|journal=International Journal of Environment and Waste Management|volume=3|issue=1/2|pages=4|doi=10.1504/ijewm.2009.024696|bibcode=2009IJEWM...3....4A |s2cid=96476310 |issn=1478-9876|url=https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00615443/file/RE2009-PUB00026234.pdf|access-date=1 February 2019|archive-date=26 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180726174058/https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00615443/file/RE2009-PUB00026234.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> Food waste is the disposal of food products that can no longer be used due to unused products, expiration, or spoilage. The increase of food waste can raise environmental concerns such as increase production of [[methane]] gases and attraction of [[Vector (epidemiology)|disease vectors]].<ref name=":02" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/vector-borne-diseases|title=Vector-borne diseases|website=World Health Organization|access-date=2018-10-19|archive-date=4 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230104001515/https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/vector-borne-diseases|url-status=live}}</ref> Landfills are the third leading cause of the release of methane,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/overview-greenhouse-gases#methane|title=Overview of Greenhouse Gases {{!}} US EPA|last=EPA, OA|first=US|website=US EPA|access-date=2018-10-16|date=2015-12-23|archive-date=12 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160812082641/https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/overview-greenhouse-gases#methane|url-status=live}}</ref> causing a concern on its impact to our ozone and on the health of individuals. Accumulation of food waste causes increased fermentation, which increases the risk of rodent and bug migration. An increase in migration of disease vectors creates greater potential of disease spreading to humans.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Venkateswaran|first=Sandhya|date=1994|title=Managing Waste: Ecological, Economic and Social Dimensions|journal=Economic and Political Weekly|volume=29|issue=45/46|pages=2907–2911|jstor=4401996}}</ref>

Waste management systems vary on all scales from global to local and can also be influenced by lifestyle. Waste management was not a primary concern until after the Industrial Revolution. As urban areas continued to grow along with the human population, proper management of solid waste became an apparent concern. To address these concerns, local governments sought solutions with the lowest economic impacts which meant implementing technical solutions at the very last stage of the process.<ref name=":9">{{Cite journal|last1=Bai|first1=Xuemei|last2=McPhearson|first2=Timon|last3=Cleugh|first3=Helen|last4=Nagendra|first4=Harini|last5=Tong|first5=Xin|last6=Zhu|first6=Tong|last7=Zhu|first7=Yong-Guan|date=2017-10-17|title=Linking Urbanization and the Environment: Conceptual and Empirical Advances|journal=Annual Review of Environment and Resources|language=en|volume=42|issue=1|pages=215–240|doi=10.1146/annurev-environ-102016-061128|issn=1543-5938|doi-access=free}}</ref> Current waste management reflects these economically motivated solutions, such as incineration or unregulated landfills. Yet, a growing increase for addressing other areas of life cycle consumption has occurred from initial stage reduction to heat recovery and recycling of materials.<ref name=":9" /> For example, concerns for mass consumption and [[fast fashion]] have moved to the forefront of the urban consumers' priorities. Aside from environmental concerns (e.g. climate change effects), other urban concerns for waste management are public health and land access.