The Impact of Food Waste
Just how much food do Americans waste? The United States discards more food than any other country in the world: nearly 60 million tons — 120 billion pounds — every year. That's estimated to be almost 40 percent of the entire US food supply, and equates to 325 pounds of waste per person. That's like every person in America throwing 975 average sized apples right into the garbage — or rather right into landfills, as most discarded food ends up there.
In fact, food is the single largest component taking up space inside US landfills, making up 22 percent of municipal solid waste (MSW). All told, the amount of food wasted in America has an approximate value of nearly $218 billion — the equivalent of 130 billion meals.
Reducing food waste is easier than you think! Simple changes in how we shop, cook, eat and dispose of food can make a huge difference.
- Plan meals and make deliberate grocery store shopping lists. Freeze food that can't be eaten immediately, but could be consumed at a later date.
- Share the wealth. Donate food to food pantries or deliver leftovers to people who may need it.
- Learn how to compost to keep food scraps out of landfills, and the amount of greenhouse gases from rising.
- Learn more food storage tips.