Cutting back on food waste can save you money and the environment

Whether you prefer to shop day by day or for the week, there are a number of different ways to cut back on food waste. 

Research shows that 119 billion pounds of food is wasted in the United States each year. That equates to 130 billion meals and more than $408 billion in food thrown away each year.

“It’s a very large percentage and it’s detrimental to the producers and, of course, for the consumer,” said Angelos Deltsidis, assistant professor in the postharvest physiology department of horticulture with the University of Georgia. “Very often people buy products that are perfectly good to be consumed and they end up throwing them out for various reasons.”

Reducing food waste saves money and the environment

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, reducing food waste can save money and lower the climate change footprint by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and conserving natural resources. 

Deltsidis said when food is wasted, the land, water, energy, and other inputs that are used in producing, processing, transporting, preparing, storing, and disposing the food are wasted as well.

“When food isn’t consumed the money and energy spent to plant the seeds, harvest, ship across the country goes down the drain,” said Deltsidis. “Composting is a great way to give back to the earth anything that isn’t consumed. For example, a tomato that has fungal growth instead of throwing it in the trash, consider composting it. Once it’s broken down it goes back to the soil. But you shouldn’t be buying extra food just to compost it.”