What are the challenges in reducing food waste at home?

Most people don't realize how much food they throw away every day — from uneaten leftovers to spoiled produce. About 95 percent of the food we throw away ends up in landfills or combustion facilities. In 2014, we disposed of more than 38 million tons of food waste. read more

Reducing waste depends heavily on what the home’s resources are. Factors such as access to refrigeration, quality of locally available perishables, and the human efforts that can be expended towards the effort all play a role. read more

By managing food sustainably and reducing waste, we can help businesses and consumers save money, provide a bridge in our communities for those who do not have enough to eat, and conserve resources for future generations. read more

By the end of 2014, the joint U.S. Food Waste Challenge (EPA plus USDA) had over 4,000 participants, well surpassing its goal of 1,000 participants by 2020. USDA is working to grow this list and expand food loss and waste reduction efforts from farm to fork. Reducing food loss and waste is core to USDA’s mission. read more