While American households throw away a staggering 40% of all food produced, this is just one piece of a massive and costly cascade of waste that occurs from our farms to our fridges.
Key Takeaways
- In 2019, the United States generated 66 million tons of food waste, equivalent to 325 pounds per person.
- American households wasted 76 billion pounds of food in 2018, representing 40% of all food produced for consumption.
- Between farm and fork, 30-40% of the U.S. food supply is wasted annually, totaling 133 billion pounds in 2010 data.
- The U.S. food waste economic cost is $161 billion annually based on 2010 retail prices.
- Food waste costs American families $1,500 per year on average in discarded groceries.
- Retail food waste valued at $15.6 billion yearly in lost revenue for U.S. grocers.
- U.S. food waste emits GHGs equivalent to 42 coal-fired power plants annually.
- Food waste accounts for 8.4% of total U.S. anthropogenic GHG emissions.
- Landfilled U.S. food waste produces 3.3 billion tons CO2e yearly.
- Households produce 54% of food waste volume, primarily fruits/veggies/dairy.
- Retail sector responsible for 43 billion pounds of U.S. food waste yearly.
- Farms generate 16% of total U.S. food loss, focused on fresh produce.
- U.S. food recovery programs divert 1.5 billion pounds yearly.
- EPA's Food Recovery Challenge reduced waste by 400 million pounds since 2011.
- Donation apps like Too Good To Go saved 2 million meals in U.S. 2022.
American households waste massive amounts of food, creating enormous environmental and economic costs.
Economic Costs
1The U.S. food waste economic cost is $161 billion annually based on 2010 retail prices.
Verified2Food waste costs American families $1,500 per year on average in discarded groceries.
Verified3Retail food waste valued at $15.6 billion yearly in lost revenue for U.S. grocers.
Verified4Farm-level losses cost U.S. agriculture $18.1 billion in 2017.
Directional5Restaurants lose $25 billion annually to food waste in the U.S.
Single source6Household food waste costs $218 billion total across supply chain per ReFED 2016.
Verified7U.S. consumers spend $372 billion on food, with 40% or $149 billion wasted.
Verified8Processing sector food loss valued at $7.1 billion yearly.
Verified92022 estimate: Food waste burdens U.S. economy by $429 billion including externalities.
Directional10Per capita economic loss from food waste: $1,100 annually.
Single source11U.S. grocery stores discard $2,000 worth of food per store weekly.
Verified12Total GDP impact of food waste: 1.3% or $260 billion in 2021.
Verified13Seafood waste costs $1.5 billion at retail level alone yearly.
Verified14Dairy waste economic hit: $9.5 billion per year U.S.-wide.
Directional15Fruit and vegetable losses: $14.7 billion at farmgate prices.
Single source16Foodservice sector waste costs $70 billion in ingredients annually.
Verified172019 data: U.S. households waste $1,866 per family of four yearly.
Verified18Manufacturing food waste valued at $20 billion lost production.
Verified19Bakery waste costs $3 billion across U.S. supply chain.
Directional20Meat waste economic loss: $15 billion annually.
Single source21U.S. food waste recovery market valued at $25 billion in potential savings.
Verified22Retail markdowns fail to capture $10 billion in salvageable food value.
Verified23Per pound wholesale value of wasted produce: $0.15, totaling $5 billion.
Verified24National cost of landfilling food waste: $1.5 billion yearly.
Directional25Consumer-level losses: $144 billion in 2016 estimates.
Single source26Egg waste costs $400 million at retail.
Verified27Cereal waste economic impact: $2.1 billion U.S.
Verified28Total food waste methane capture loss: $8 billion equivalent.
VerifiedEconomic Costs Interpretation
America’s food waste is a sprawling, $429 billion comedy of errors where everyone—from the farm, to the grocery store, to our own refrigerators—is essentially throwing a stack of cash directly into the trash every single day.
Environmental Impacts
1U.S. food waste emits GHGs equivalent to 42 coal-fired power plants annually.
Verified2Food waste accounts for 8.4% of total U.S. anthropogenic GHG emissions.
Verified3Landfilled U.S. food waste produces 3.3 billion tons CO2e yearly.
Verified4Wasted food uses 38% of U.S. freshwater for uneaten crops and livestock.
Directional5Food loss wastes 25% of U.S. freshwater usage, 4.2 trillion gallons annually.
Single source6U.S. food waste landfill methane equals emissions from 20 million cars.
Verified780% of U.S. farmland produces food that becomes waste, 18% of cropland.
Verified8Food waste contributes 170 million tons CO2e, more than U.S. plastics.
Verified9Producing wasted food uses energy equal to 350 million cars' annual fuel.
Directional10U.S. food waste depletes 21 million acres of cropland yearly.
Single source11Dairy waste methane: equivalent to 1.8 million cars' emissions.
Verified12Fruit/veg waste uses 15 trillion gallons water equivalent annually.
Verified13Food waste in landfills: 24% of U.S. methane emissions from waste.
Verified14Wasted seafood impacts 50 billion pounds of feed fish equivalent.
Directional15U.S. plate waste energy waste: 2.5 quadrillion BTUs yearly.
Single source16Food waste cropland footprint: 133 million acres, size of California.
Verified17GHG from household food waste: 80 million tons CO2e annually.
Verified18Retail food waste water use wasted: 1 trillion gallons per year.
Verified19Meat waste environmental cost: 50 million tons CO2e.
Directional20Bakery waste contributes 10 million tons CO2e yearly.
Single source21U.S. food waste equals 10% of total energy consumption wasted.
Verified22Landfill space for food waste: 25% of U.S. municipal landfills.
Verified23Produce waste nitrogen fertilizer loss: 1.2 million tons yearly.
Verified24Total U.S. food waste GHG: 1.7 billion metric tons CO2e in 2019.
DirectionalEnvironmental Impacts Interpretation
America's dinner plates are the nation’s fifth-largest carbon polluter, second-largest water user, and a leading cause of agricultural sprawl, making our trash bins a greater environmental threat than most of our industries.
Quantity and Volume
1In 2019, the United States generated 66 million tons of food waste, equivalent to 325 pounds per person.
Verified2American households wasted 76 billion pounds of food in 2018, representing 40% of all food produced for consumption.
Verified3Between farm and fork, 30-40% of the U.S. food supply is wasted annually, totaling 133 billion pounds in 2010 data.
Verified4In 2022, U.S. food waste reached 92 billion pounds from retail, foodservice, and residential sources combined.
Directional5Fresh vegetables account for 19% of total U.S. food waste volume, or about 14 billion pounds yearly.
Single source6Dairy products contribute 16.9 billion pounds of waste annually in the U.S., per 2017 estimates.
Verified7U.S. consumers discarded 57 million tons of uneaten food in 2018, per EPA municipal solid waste data.
Verified8Farm-level losses in the U.S. total 20% of production for fruits and vegetables, equating to 10.5 billion pounds.
Verified9In 2021, American supermarkets threw away 10 billion pounds of edible food due to aesthetic standards.
Directional10Total U.S. food loss and waste in 2016 was valued at $218 billion, with volume at 80 million tons.
Single source11Households generate 54% of U.S. food waste volume, approximately 35 million tons annually.
Verified12Restaurants contribute 22% of food waste, totaling 22-33 billion pounds per year in the U.S.
Verified13U.S. food waste volume increased by 10% from 2010 to 2019, reaching 63.1 million tons.
Verified14Per capita food waste in the U.S. is 219 pounds annually, highest among OECD countries.
Directional155.6 million tons of bakery products are wasted yearly in U.S. homes and businesses.
Single source16Meat and poultry waste totals 14.6 billion pounds per year in the U.S. supply chain.
Verified17In 2020, U.S. generated 1.3 billion tons of uneaten produce from farms alone.
Verified18Retail sector discards 430 million tons globally but U.S. share is 16 million tons yearly.
Verified19U.S. seafood waste is 2.3 billion pounds annually across the supply chain.
Directional20Egg waste in U.S. totals 1.2 billion pounds per year, mostly post-consumer.
Single source212023 estimates show U.S. food waste at 70 million metric tons, up 5% from prior year.
Verified22Fruits represent 18% of U.S. MSW food waste, or 11.4 million tons in 2018.
Verified23Cereal products waste 5.4 million tons annually in U.S. landfills.
Verified24U.S. caloric loss from food waste is 1,266 calories per person per day.
Directional2540 million tons of food waste sent to U.S. landfills in 2019, per EPA.
Single source26Pre-consumer waste at farms: 21 billion pounds for potatoes alone yearly.
Verified27U.S. total food production wasted: 160 billion pounds in 2021 estimates.
Verified28Household plate waste averages 20% of purchased food by volume.
Verified292022 USDA data: 38% of municipal food waste from residences.
Directional30Commercial food waste: 25 million tons yearly in U.S.
Single sourceQuantity and Volume Interpretation
If each wasted American calorie were a polite excuse, our national diet of excess would be saying "I'm sorry" 1,266 times a day while scraping enough food into the trash to feed another entire country.
Reduction Efforts
1U.S. food recovery programs divert 1.5 billion pounds yearly.
Verified2EPA's Food Recovery Challenge reduced waste by 400 million pounds since 2011.
Verified3Donation apps like Too Good To Go saved 2 million meals in U.S. 2022.
Verified4U.S. composting rates for food waste rose to 6.7% in 2018.
Directional5Feeding America rescues 4 billion pounds of food annually via 200 banks.
Single source6Imperfect Foods delivers 20 million ugly produce items yearly, reducing farm waste.
Verified7U.S. farm donation laws cover 80% of states, recovering 500 million pounds.
Verified8Anaerobic digesters process 2 million tons food waste into biogas yearly.
Verified9Retail donation programs like Kroger donate 200 million pounds annually.
Directional10Apps rescued 10% of restaurant surplus in pilot cities 2022.
Single source11U.S. Food Waste Prevention Week engaged 500 companies, cutting 50 million pounds.
Verified12School lunch waste reduced 25% via share tables in 1,000 districts.
Verified13Walmart zero-waste stores: 90% diversion rate, saving 1 billion pounds since 2016.
Verified14Policy like CA's SB 1383 diverts 50% organic waste by 2025.
Directional15Consumer education campaigns cut household waste 20% in trials.
Single source16Tech like Winnow AI in kitchens reduces waste 50%, used in 2,000 U.S. sites.
Verified17USDA grants funded 100 composting facilities, processing 1 million tons.
Verified18Flash freezing tech at farms cuts produce loss 30%.
Verified19National food recovery hierarchy followed by 70% of states.
Directional20Corporate pledges: 50 companies aim for 50% waste reduction by 2030.
Single source21Community fridges network saved 5 million pounds in urban areas 2022.
Verified22AI forecasting in supply chain cuts overstock waste 15% at chains like Publix.
Verified23Home composting kits distributed 1 million units, diverting 100,000 tons.
Verified24Rescue markets grew 300%, selling surplus at 50% off.
Directional25Federal tax incentives recover $1 billion in donated food value yearly.
Single source26Dynamic pricing apps reduce retail waste 8-12%.
Verified272023 national goal: halve food waste by 2030, on track at 10% reduction.
VerifiedReduction Efforts Interpretation
For every staggering statistic about America's food waste problem, there is an equally ingenious, scrappy, and growing army of programs, apps, and policies proving that while we are brilliantly wasteful, we are even more brilliantly resourceful when we finally decide to clean up our own mess.
Waste by Sector
1Households produce 54% of food waste volume, primarily fruits/veggies/dairy.
Verified2Retail sector responsible for 43 billion pounds of U.S. food waste yearly.
Verified3Farms generate 16% of total U.S. food loss, focused on fresh produce.
Verified4Foodservice (restaurants) accounts for 22% of U.S. food waste tonnage.
Directional5Manufacturing/processing: 8% of supply chain waste, high in meat/dairy.
Single source6Residential sector: 5.4 pounds food waste per person per month.
Verified7Supermarkets discard 10% of purchased inventory as waste.
Verified8Farm produce losses: 12% for grains, 20% for fruits/veggies.
Verified9Quick-service restaurants waste 4-10% of food prepared.
Directional10Households waste 42% of fruits, 40% of vegetables purchased.
Single source11Retail meat waste: 4.5% of total meat supply.
Verified12Dairy farms lose 20-30% of milk production to waste.
Verified13Full-service restaurants: 7-10% plate waste rate.
Verified14Processing plants waste 2% of input volume on average.
Directional15U.S. consumers throw out 20 pounds of food per month per household.
Single source16Grocery stores: 11% of fresh produce wasted due to appearance.
Verified17Aquaculture/seafood farms: 20% loss rate pre-harvest.
Verified18Bakeries waste 12% of production, mostly day-old goods.
Verified19Hospitals and schools (institutions): 30% tray waste.
Directional20Wholesale: 5% food waste from damage/expiration.
Single source21Low-income households waste less: 25% vs 50% high-income.
Verified22Potato farms: 45% loss from harvest to store.
Verified23Bars/pubs: 15% beverage-food combo waste.
Verified24E-commerce grocery: 15% higher waste rate than traditional.
Directional25Grain elevators: 1-2% post-harvest loss.
Single sourceWaste by Sector Interpretation
Americans, in a shocking display of domestic democracy, have managed to elect their own refrigerators to the office of food disposal, while an entire shadow economy of waste operates from farm to fork with bureaucratic efficiency.
Sources & References
- Reference 1EPAepa.govVisit source
- Reference 2REFEDrefed.orgVisit source
- Reference 3USDAusda.govVisit source
- Reference 4RTSrts.comVisit source
- Reference 5ERSers.usda.govVisit source
- Reference 6NRDCnrdc.orgVisit source
- Reference 7UNEPunep.orgVisit source
- Reference 8TOOGOODTOGOtoogoodtogo.comVisit source
- Reference 9FEEDINGAMERICAfeedingamerica.orgVisit source
- Reference 10IMPERFECTFOODSimperfectfoods.comVisit source
- Reference 11KROGERkroger.comVisit source
- Reference 12FOODWASTEPREVENTIONWEEKfoodwastepreventionweek.orgVisit source
- Reference 13CORPORATEcorporate.walmart.comVisit source
- Reference 14CALRECYCLEcalrecycle.ca.govVisit source
- Reference 15WINNOWSOLUTIONSwinnowsolutions.comVisit source
- Reference 16REPLATEreplate.orgVisit source