According to the United Nations, about 40 percent of food we buy in the United States is wasted.
Much of the waste comes from over-purchasing at the household level.
This food waste has worldwide consequences and is the third largest cause of greenhouse gas emissions once you examine the global carbon footprint.
The best foods you can eat are the freshest: meat, dairy, fish and produce. They’re also the most perishable. These are precious resources.
Wasted food also means wasted water. A single head of broccoli in the garbage flushes away 5.4 gallons of water used to grow that broccoli. Wasting 40 percent of a holiday meal for eight people is equivalent to all eight people running the tap for two hours.
Food date labeling is contributing to food waste. Congress is trying to bring uniformity to the labeling so consumers don’t throw good food away prematurely.
What You Can Do Today
- Shop with a plan instead of with your eyes.
- Use doggie bags and takeout containers to enjoy leftovers.
- Not all food is produced uniformly. You can eat crooked carrots.
Learn more about food waste by visiting Natural Resources Defense Council and ReFed.
Listen in as John Mandyck joins Melanie Cole, MS, to discuss how to decrease food waste.
John Mandyck is the Chief Sustainability Officer at United Technologies. John chairs the Corporate Advisory Board of the World Green Building Council and in addition is a member of the Corporate Council at Harvard University’s Center for Health and the Global Environment. He is also on the adjunct faculty for the University of Connecticut School of Business.