What Is Food Waste?
Most people don’t realize how much food they throw away every day – from uneaten leftovers to spoiled produce. About 95% of the food we throw away ends up in landfills. In fact, food is the number one thing in America's landfills today.
Consumers are responsible for more wasted food than farmers, grocery stores, restaurants, or any other part of the food supply chain. 21% of the food each person buys goes to waste, with the average American family of four spending $1,500 on food they don’t eat.
Why are consumers wasting so much food?
No one likes to waste, but the vast majority of Americans don’t think about food waste as a significant problem. We tend to think of food waste with restaurants or agriculture rather than our own households. Raising awareness of the issue is the first step to reducing food waste.
What can you do to prevent food waste?
Reduce Wasted Food
- Shop your refrigerator first before buying more
- Plan your menu before shopping
- Buy only what you realistically need
- Freeze, preserve, or can surplus fruits and vegetables
- 6 Ways to Reduce Food Waste, Even During a Pandemic
- Everyday Leftover Recipes
- Deciphering Dates on Products (PDF)
- Alexa, Open Save the Food
- Find more tips at Save the Food
Donate Food Locally
- Food Bank of Alaska
- Food Bank of Alaska's Most-Wanted List
- Fairbanks Community Food Bank - Items We Need
- Southeast Alaska Food Bank
- The Glory Hall - Juneau
- Donate Alaska Traditional Foods (PDF)
- Move for Hunger - Find a local company to collect unwanted food when moving.
Donate Food for Animals
Additional Resources
- Reducing Food Waste - What Schools Can do Today (USDA)
- Tips to Reduce Food Waste (FDA)
- Suggestions for Reducing Food Waste (USDA)
- Reducing Food Waste at Home (EPA)
- Food Banks and Donations Guidelines (ADEC)
Food Waste in the News
- No Products Go to Waste for Local Wholesale Food Company (KTUU)
- 'Going Old School': Anchorage School Lunches are Getting a Makeover (Anchorage Daily News)
- Mat-Su School District Works to Reduce Food Waste (KTVA)
- Alaska Legislature Passes Bill to Cut Down on Food Waste (KTVA)
- This Man ate Expired Food for a Year. Here's Why Expiration Dates are Practically Meaningless. (Washington Post)
- Latest Food Waste News (Save the Food)
- Why Do We Throw Away So Much Food? (Yale Environment 360 video)
- Americans waste 150,000 tons of food each day – equal to a pound per person (The Guardian)
- Food Waste News (NPR)


