Preventing Food Waste At Home

We produce enough food waste to feed 2 billion people—twice the number of undernourished people worldwide (World Food Program USA, 2021). In an article discussing the benefits of reducing food loss, the World Resources Institute states that, "One-third of all food produced globally by weight is lost or wasted between farm and fork..." (Goodwin, 2023)

Figure 1. Photo Credit: Rudzhan Nagiev on iStock.

Why Is It Important?

Food waste has significant economic and environmental impacts. According to the FDA, "Food is the single largest category of material placed in municipal landfills and represents wasted nourishment that could have helped feed families in need." (U.S Food and Drug Administration, 2025) Here are a couple of statistics that highlight just how big an issue this is:

• Wasted food costs the global economy more than $1 trillion each year. (Goodwin, 2023)

• In 2019, around 96 percent of a household's food waste ended up in landfills, incineration facilities, or the sewer system. (Environmental Protection Agency, 2025)

• The average family spends around $3,000 each year on food that is not eaten. (Environmental Protection Agency, 2025)

• Food waste accounts for 8%-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. (Goodwin, 2023)

• 3 billion tons of greenhouse gases are emitted every year from food waste. (World Food Program USA, 2021)

With staggering numbers like these, you may be thinking to yourself, "What can I do to help? Well, here is a list of actions recommended by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Figure 2. Photo Credit: Jodi Helmer in https://www.fix.com/blog/food-waste/

What Can I Do?

The answer to reducing food waste at the household level is entirely centered around smart shopping and responsible food distribution. Here are some simple, yet impactful, ways you can reduce food waste at home:

• Shopping

  • Keep a list of meals your household enjoys.

  • Avoid buying food you already have.

  • Plan meals for the week.

• Storage

  • Properly store fruits and vegetables.

  • Ensure your refrigerator is set to the proper temperature.

• Cooking

  • Know the difference between "sell-by" and "best-by" dates.

  • Cook the portion size that fits your family.

  • Date your containers.

• If You Can't Reduce Wasted Food, Divert It From Landfills

  • Composting.

  • Donate to food banks.

Organizations Making A Change

Many groups are working to redistribute food to those in need. Here are a few of them:

• Boulder Food Rescue

  • https://www.boulderfoodrescue.org/

• Feeding America

  • https://www.feedingamerica.org/our-work/reduce-food-waste

• World Food Program USA

  • https://www.wfpusa.org/news/8-facts-to-know-about-food-waste-and-hunger/

New Questions For Next Week

• How can farmers reduce food waste?

• How does the increase in crop breeding affect the production of food waste?

• How can food distributors ensure their products last longer?

• What are the most efficient ways to slow greenhouse gas emissions?

Citations

8 facts about how food waste and global hunger are connected. World Food Program USA. (2022, March 22). https://www.wfpusa.org/news/8-facts-to-know-about-food-waste-and-hunger/

Fighting Food Waste and hunger through Food Rescue. Feeding America. (n.d.). https://www.feedingamerica.org/our-work/reduce-food-waste

Goodwin, L. (2023, April 20). The global benefits of reducing food loss and waste, and how to do it. World Resources Institute. https://www.wri.org/insights/reducing-food-loss-and-food-waste

Helmer, J. (2015, November 2). Understanding food waste | fix.com. FIX. https://www.fix.com/blog/food-waste/

Program, H. F. (n.d.). Food loss and waste. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. https://www.fda.gov/food/consumers/food-loss-and-waste