This is followed by food donations to those in need, sending food scraps to animal feed, then industrial uses including anaerobic digestion and ethanol facilities, before moving on to composting. Food waste is a massive environmental issue in the United States. As you can see, source reduction, or simply purchasing less food in the first place, is number one. Lack of awareness of basic nutrition adds to food waste among consumers. In the US, an estimated 30% to 40% of the total food supply ends up as waste. Wasted food has far-reaching effects, both nationally and globally. Thankfully there are outlets for misshapen produce; restaurants don’t care what their carrots look like so long as they can turn them into delicious dishes on the plate, and start-ups such as Imperfect Foods, Misfits Market, and Hungry Harvest make it easy for consumers to receive “ugly produce” right to their door. Why Dirt Matters Part 1: Soil’s Impact on Climate Change ». A new study from Penn State revealed that U.S. households waste about a third of the food they purchased every year. All rights reserved. In the U.S., up to 40% of all food produced goes uneaten [2], and about 95% of discarded food ends up in landfills [3]. At the consumer level, however, you have the power to ensure you purchase only what you need, you serve portion sizes that work for you and your family, and you don’t throw out food too early. When food is tossed aside, so too are opportunities for improved food security, economic growth, and environmental prosperity. Grocery stores have learned over time that consumers don’t tend to purchase misshapen produce. Knowing how much food is wasted in America each year is only the first step toward tackling a problem that is bigger than the simple monetary loss. As food rots in a landfill, it emits methane, a greenhouse gas 28 to 36 times more potent than the carbon that comes out of passenger vehicles. Food wastage impacts on biodiversity loss at a global level. As I noted earlier on in this article, reading food waste statistics that tell us just how much food is wasted in America on an annual basis is a good way to help get the word out about the problem of food wastage in this country—but we must go further to reduce food waste at every level of the food supply chain. While rotting food in our country’s landfills causes harm to our environment after it is wasted, allowing perfectly good food to go to waste is also wasteful of the natural resources that helped this food come to fruition in the first place. USDA is uniquely positioned to help address the problem of food loss and waste through its programs, policies, and guidance. Sign up to receive Rubicon news and blog content directly in your inbox. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. Environmental Protection... Additional Activities. When we waste food, we waste the water, energy, and physical labor it took to produce, package, and ship this food. While many people believe it’s better to buy fresh food, in reality, frozen food products often retain more nutrients while lasting longer. Food waste is the number one material in America’s landfills, accounting for 21.9 percent of all municipal solid waste (MSW). Ryan Cooper is a Waste Diversion Manager and the Organics Recycling Lead at Rubicon. In this article, we’re going to look at the issues surrounding food waste in the U.S. compared to the rest of the world. Americans waste an unfathomable amount of food. The United States wastes 30-40 percent of its food supply each year. Software providing an innovative and seamless way to manage your fleet. The cost of food waste is not just attributed to the food you bought and forgot to eat. On April 9, 2019, USDA, EPA, and FDA signed a formal agreement with ReFED, Inc. to collaborate on... Resources. We’re wasting $161 billion annually (with the average American family of four throwing out $1,500 in wasted food per year) while depleting our natural resources, harming our environment, and wasting food that the more than 54 million food insecure people in the United States could benefit from. Food Waste in America. More than 54 million people are food insecure (18 million of which are children) according to 2020 data, accounting for one in six people. The following food waste facts and statistics tell the story of food waste in America. Browse waste and recycling solutions by industry. We live in a country in which more than 54 million people are food insecure (18 million of which are children) according to 2020 data collected by Feeding America, meaning they lack reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food. The average American family of four throws out $1,500 in food per year. This is quite … Take leftover containers to restaurants. A family of four throws away around $600 worth of food annually due to spoilage or fear of eating leftovers. Browse waste and recycling solutions by waste stream. According to data from the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand that was collected by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), 20 percent of fruit and vegetables are lost during production, 12 percent are lost at the distribution and retail level, and a further 28 percent are lost at the consumer level. The annual food waste in America has an approximate value of $161 billion. Only five percent of food is composted in the US and as a result, uneaten food is the single largest component of municipal solid waste. Food waste in America has skyrocketed in recent years, with 40.7 million tons (81.4 billion pounds) of food waste generated in 2017, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); the equivalent of over 180,000 Statue of Liberties. Hopefully, food waste is never landfilled because it has so many beneficial uses. Software helping U.S. companies stay on top of their local, state, and federal regulatory and compliance obligations across their entire business. Only 6.3 percent of food waste in America was composted in 2017. Food is often safe to eat even after it “expires.” Expiration dates are misleading and nonstandardized, leading many to toss out perfectly good food. Most people don't realize how much food they throw away every day — from uneaten leftovers to spoiled produce. These numbers are up from 37 million and 11 million, respectively, in 2019, with the sharp rise in food insecurity due to the effects of the COVID-19 public health emergency and the subsequent economic downturn. Food waste is a big problem in America, It could be lowered by just doing a couple simple of steps and by thinking before you throw away something that could be eaten. To stay ahead of Rubicon’s announcements of new partnerships and collaborations around the world, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, or contact us today. A large portion of this occurs at the consumer level, with 43% of food waste being generated in people’s homes. More than 54 million people are food insecure (18 million of which are children) according to 2020 data, accounting for one in six people. Americans discard approximately 35 percent (204 million pounds) of edible turkey meat each year, the majority after the. The size of your refrigerator can impact the amount of food you waste. According to research from 2019, the state of Vermont is considered to have the worst food waste in the United States. An innovative assessment of food waste at a U.S. school by an international team of researchers suggests that American school cafeterias waste more food than those in other developed countries, and the true costs extend well beyond just the weight of food not eaten. Don’t misinterpret expiration labels on food that’s perfectly good to eat.. Feeding America partners with food manufacturers, grocery stores, restaurants, and farmers to prevent food waste and rescue surplus food to help feed people visiting our network of food banks. Innovators that are shaping the future of the waste and recycling industry. Addressing wasted food puts that food and/or money back into circulation, potentially contributing to improved nutrition and, among those with lower incomes, improved food … Food waste is a massive environmental issue in the. Keep reading to learn more about food waste in America. Global preferences for a western diet consisting of a high intake of carbohydrates, sugar, and sodium are major contributors to environmental burdens such as greenhouse gas emissions and land use. Highlighting food waste statistics and facts, such as those below, is a good way to help get the word out about this ever-growing problem, but our work can’t stop there. In the United States, that equates to approximately one pound of food wasted per person per day. Rubicon’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report, Ryan Cooper, Waste Diversion Manager and Organics Recycling Lead, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Report, Food Waste in America: Facts and Statistics. Put together a detailed shopping list before you go to the grocery store by planning your meals in advance—and avoid impulse purchases. Around 12.3 percent of American households were food insecure at some point during 2016, according to USDA. Food is meant to be eaten not wasted. How did we get here? 08/28/2016 10:41 am ET Updated Sep 14, 2016 We’re going to look at what causes food waste at every level of the food supply chain; and how to reduce it. The reality of food waste in America is that we live in a country in which more than 54 million people are food insecure (18 million of which are children) according to 2020 data collected by Feeding America. If we keep this up, reports estimate that in ten years, we’ll waste the equivalent of 66 tons of food per second across the globe. Join our Super Tips Newsletter and get recipes, blog posts, and coupons delivered straight to your inbox. In fact, food waste is the number one material in American landfills, accounting for 21.9 percent of all municipal solid waste (MSW) according to the EPA. (For more on the specifics of food loss, this paper from Dana Gunders is a must-read.). That’s the weight of 104 Empire State Buildings, with a bit to spare. Food waste or food loss is food that is not eaten. Your email address will not be published. The results were similar to previous studies that … In fact, according to a Guardian report released this week, roughly 50 percent of all produce in the United States is … Nearly 40% of food produced in America is lost or wasted.Here is why we need to reduce the amount of food we produce: But each year, an enormous amount of food is wasted in the United States. Trust your sense of smell, and your gut, before throwing items away. Food waste is the number one material in America’s landfills, accounting for 21.9 percent of all municipal solid waste (MSW). The environmental impact of food waste in America cannot be undersold. Food waste in America also arises from small households. As it stands, the U.S. is the worldwide leader in food waste generation, with the majority of wasted food being sent to landfills. And we’re going to uncover the most interesting food waste statistics out there. 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