The Impact of Food Waste
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In America, 40% of food goes uneaten. This perfectly edible food is thrown out and further damages our environment, people's health, and the future generation.
An estimated 70 billion pounds of consumable food a year ends up in the trash.
Due to things like delivery problems, overstock orders, foods nearing "expiration dates", or just cosmetically imperfect produce, consumable food gets thrown out by the truckloads every week. About 40% of all the food made in America end up in dumpsters. Companies also often avoid donating food because of the hassle or the fear that there may be health risks if the food donation is not properly delivered and consumed in a timely manner.
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A dumpster full of hummus packages because it didn't fit a cosmetic standard. A scene from the documentary Just Eat It: A Food Waste Story.
But what if we could give that food to the people who need it most?
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Providing good and healthy food to hungry children means better behavior in school, increased concentration and memory, and higher graduation rates.
It means less worry and stress on parents who are struggling with low incomes by knowing they can feed their families three substantial meals a day.
Food donations to soup kitchens, pantries, and ministries allows more time for groups to serve their communities rather than spend time locating resources.
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Redirecting perfectly good food that would've otherwise been thrown away to hungry people reduces greenhouse gas emissions (like methane), saves incredible amounts of water, and prevents landfills.
45% of the food thrown away in America are fresh fruits & vegetables. Access to this fresh produce means less dietary issues, decreased needs for expensive medication, and overall healthier lifestyles.
EDUCATION
SECURITY
TIME
SUSTAINABILITY
HEALTH
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also developed the Food Recovery Hierarchy as part of their Food Recovery Challenge (FRC). We are proud to be part of a thriving ecosystem across the globe committed to reducing food waste through this hierarchy. See the model below or read more.
