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Waste and see:
Taking a deeper look at the scale and impact of food waste in the United States

Created by Alicia Z., Adeel C., and Haritha S. R.
for INFO 247 Spring 2023

Food loss and waste in the United States is a huge problem.

The United States is the 2nd largest generator of food loss and waste* (FLW) in the world, both per capita and overall.

*What's the difference between loss and waste?

  • Loss occurs on farms, during storage, and in transport, prior to packaging for retail.
    • Examples of loss include unharvested crops, weather- or insect-damaged food, and spoiled or damaged food in transit.
  • Waste occurs in restaurants, in households, and in stores.
    • This is the food that was edible but not ultimately consumed.

In the United States, 35% of all food produced for human consumption goes unsold or uneaten - this amount is called surplus.

The chart below tracks the flow of food surplus to its final destination, as well as which sectors were responsible.

Chart showing half of the US population filled in.

In 2021, of the 91 million tons of food surplus the U.S. produced,

62 million tons went to waste.

This uneaten food contains enough calories to feed more than 150 million people each year, or

almost half of the U.S. population.

It also amounts to almost 90 billion meals’ worth of food annually.

This is happening in the same country where it’s estimated that more than 1 in 6 people face food insecurity.

Food waste isn’t just a social issue.

Economically, the amount of wasted food per year is valued at

$408 billion

or approximately 2% of the United States’ GDP.

For comparison's sake, that dollar amount is equivalent to 60% of all K-12 public education spending in the U.S.

Furthermore, NRDC research shows that the average American family of four spends $1,500 on uneaten food per year.

That's more than enough to pay for an entire month's worth of groceries for that same family of four.

Food waste is wreaking havoc on our environment too.

When food is discarded, all inputs used (such as land, energy, and water) in producing, processing, transporting, preparing, and storing the discarded food are also wasted.

The greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from each step of the supply chain add up quickly.

Image adapted from: https://refed.org/food-waste/climate-and-resources/

Every year, U.S. Food Loss and Waste (FLW) uses up the equivalent of:

All in all, the greenhouse gas emissions resulting from food waste in the U.S. is around 3 times greater than the entire U.S. aviation industry -- passenger, commercial, and military.

This estimate doesn't even include the significant methane emissions from food waste rotting in landfills.

  • Methane is more than 25 times as potent as carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmostphere.

Do consumers really waste that much food? Doesn’t most of it come from grocery stores and restaurants throwing out food?

Not exactly.

Of the 61.9 million tons of food waste generated in 2021, almost half came from the Residential sector, AKA people at home.

What are the reasons that consumers throw out food?

Take a look for yourself, and see if any of these reasons sound familiar to you:

So, what can we do to help reduce food waste?

As a consumer:

1) Understand that food date labeling is not an expiration date.

Except for infant formula, product dating is not regulated by Federal law.

Instead, states have come up with various regulations that often fail to distinguish between food safety and food quality, leaving consumers confused about whether a food item is truly unsafe to eat, or simply a little past its prime.

Commonly used date labeling phrases that can mislead

Click on a card to learn more.

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2) Store food properly to prolong its freshness.

Explore this interactive guide to find out if you’re storing your food properly.

3) Learn recipes that can use up foods "past their prime".

In a 2019 survey conducted by the International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation:
  • 83% of consumers reported throwing out food because it spoiled or became stale, and
  • 49% reported it was because they were cleaning out their fridge or pantry.

Before you throw those foods out, consider giving them a second life in delicious recipes such as soups, stews, and baked goods.

4) "Meal Prep" to reduce the chance of leftovers.

The same IFIC survey revealed that leftovers and fresh produce were in the top 3 types of foods thrown out at home.

Preparing your meals in advance can reduce the chance of ending up with leftovers that go in the garbage.

For some helpful meal prep guides, check out this page created by the NRDC.

As a voter:

Learn about successful food waste policies, and vote for representatives who support similar legislation in your state and local community.

As discussed earlier, under federal law, date labels are almost entirely unregulated.

According to a study conducted by ReFED, standardizing date labels nationally could provide $2.41 billion in annual economic value. Further, policy changes related to date labeling have the potential to divert 582,000 tons of waste per year.

You can also learn more about date labeling policy here.

In conclusion:

As consumers, we have many ways to make a difference in reducing the amount of food waste in the United States.

What are we wasting for?

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