Wasted food is a financial and environmental bummer. It costs the average person $728 per year, and it amounts to about the same planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions every year as 42 coal-fired power plants.
Wasted food is a financial and environmental bummer.
It costs U.S. consumers $728 every year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, and emits the annual equivalent planet-warming greenhouse gases of 42 coal-fired power plants.
Carleigh Bodrug, a cookbook author who emphasizes cooking with plants and low-waste recipes, said she was surprised to learn that homes, rather than restaurants and grocery stores, account for the largest share of food that goes in the garbage — about 35% in 2023, according to ReFed, a nonprofit that seeks to reduce food waste.
“And it’s just because we’re so busy, we’re not utilizing the food that we actually buy,” she said.
The environmental impact is compounded because the food goes in the trash only after a long journey in which it’s grown, treated, packed, shipped, prepared and stored.
The good news is that cutting waste is good both for the planet and for every household’s bottom line. We’ve collected the expert wisdom on how to do it — from smarter shopping to creative recipes.
Bodrug wasn’t always keen on reducing food waste. She recalls going to the grocery store each week, buying a bag of oats and then discovering when she got home that she already had three half-eaten bags in the pantry. When she learned about the “huge issue” of the waste nationally, she said, she wanted to do something about it.
Her first solution: Make a list. Write down the plan for the week, then check the fridge and the pantry to see what’s already there before heading to the store. The list prevents duplicates — and it can also cut down on impulse buys.
“The worst thing any of us can do — and I know everybody’s been there — is heading to the grocery store when you’re hungry and you’re just like, ‘Oh my gosh, I need everything.’ If you head to the grocery store with a list, you’re buying items with intention,” she said.
