How to waste less food
Wasted food and its effects on people, the environment, and the economy have become a major topic of national conversation, and for good reason. When we waste food, we also waste all the water, energy, labor, agricultural chemicals, and other resources that go into growing, storing and transporting it. That adds up to an economic loss of $218 billion each year. Most of the food wasted ends up in landfills, where it generates methane, a powerful greenhouse gas that is up to 86 times more powerful than carbon dioxide. Indeed, wasted food is responsible for at least 2.6 percent of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, more than 41 million people in the United States lack consistent access to adequate food in a country where up to 40 percent of the food supply is wasted every year. If we could distribute just 30 percent of the food we currently discard, it would equate to enough food to provide the total diet for 49 million Americans.