What's 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?
- 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
Visit Save the Food to learn:
- 5 Ways to Revive Food
- The Art of Freezing
- How to Waste Less with Kids
- Deciphering Dates on Products
- And much more!
Donate Food
- Food Bank of Alaska
- Food Bank of Alaska's Most-Wanted List
- Food Pantries in Alaska
- Alaska Zoo
- Kids' Kitchen, Inc. - Anchorage
- Fairbanks Community Food Kitchen - Fairbanks
- The Glory Hole - Juneau
- Move for Hunger - Find a company in your area to collect unwanted food when moving.
Resources and News
- Alexa - Open Save the Food!
- 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)
- Suggestions for Reducing Food Waste (USDA)
- Reducing Food Waste at Home (EPA)
