Food Waste Reduction

While approximately one-third of all food produced goes uneaten, hunger persists, and greenhouse gas emissions continue to soar. Preventing and reducing food loss and waste is paramount for climate stability and societal well-being worldwide.

Below is EPA’s new wasted food scale. The Wasted Food Scale reflects the latest science as well as technological advances and changes in operational practices in the wasted food pathways since the Food Recovery Hierarchy was developed. One result from EPA From Field to Bin: The Environmental Impacts of U.S. Food Waste Management Pathways report concludes that:

“Source reduction, donation and upcycling are the most environmentally preferable pathways because they can displace additional food production. The benefits of pathways beyond source reduction, donation, and upcycling are small relative to the environmental impacts of food production; thus, they can do little to offset the environmental impacts of food production.”

wasted food scale image, u shaped moving from most preferred to least preferred

Current Funding Opportunites for Food Waste and Compost:

Ending Wasted Food in a Generation

Below is the Institute for Local Self-Reliance’s Hierarchy to Reduce Food Waste alongside the U.S. EPA’s Food Recovery Hierarchy. Source reduction is always the first step regarding environmental health no matter what material is being discussed or which authority is being referenced. Click on infographics to learn more.

The TED talk below is a must see!

We waste a staggering one trillion dollars worth of food each year, significantly contributing to greenhouse gas emissions and the climate crisis. Food waste expert Dana Gunders shares innovative solutions to reduce waste — from solar-powered cold rooms to apps that sell discounted restaurant leftovers — and shares tips on how you can keep good food from going to the trash.