Food Waste, In Figures

Some of the key numbers behind our great misuse of food

Source: James Sutton/Unsplash

Food waste is a huge problem. To whet your tastebuds on the scale of the problem, here are a few stats that illustrate just how hungry we should be to reduce the amount of grub we send to the garbage.

For the full meal, check out “Green Giants: How big venues are rethinking food waste” to learn how several forward-thinking event spaces are tackling this issue.

This article appeared, along with “Green Giants,” in the Oct 2017 issue of Hyperlink. Go to hyperlinkmag.com to buy a copy.

THE BIG PICTURE

Source: Hermes Rivera/Unsplash

• 4.2: The number of tons of CO2 equivalent saved by preventing 1 ton of food waste.
• 2.9 trillion: Pounds of all food produced globally that’s wasted each year (source: United Nations)
• 3.3 billion: Tons of greenhouse gases produced by wasted food around the world each year (source: FAO).
• 3 billion: The number of people who could be fed globally by feeding food waste to pigs instead of using the typical corn–soy mix.

US vs. THEM

Source: Aaron Burden/Unsplash

• 25: Percent of all water use attributed to food waste in the United States (source: PLoS One).
• 300 billion: Number of barrels of oil used as a result of food waste in the US (source: PLoS One).
• 50: Percent of all produce in the US that is thrown away (source: The Guardian).
• 40: Percent of the US food supply that’s never eaten (source: Natural Resources Defense Council).
• 15: Percent of all food that ends up in land lls attributed to food waste in the US (source: NPR).
• 80: Percent of freshwater used in the US by food production (source: United States Department of Agriculture).
• $680 billion: Food losses and waste in industrialized countries each year (source: FAO).
• $310 billion: Food losses and waste in developing countries each year (source: FAO).

SEND IT BACK

Source: Jay Wennington/Unsplash

• 84.3: Percent of unused food in American restaurants that ends up being disposed (source: Food
• 14.3: Percent that ends up being recycled (source: FWRA).
• 1.4: Percent that ends up being donated (source: FWRA).
• 72: Percent of US diners who say that they care about how food waste is handled (source: Unilever).
• 47: Percent of US diners who are concerned enough that they would be willing to spend more money to eat at a place that actively tries to reduce its food waste (source: Unilever).

TO THE CURB

Source: Rikki Chan/Unsplash

• <5: The percent of food waste recycled in the US in 2012 (source: Environmental Protection Agency [EPA]).
• ~0: The percent of food waste recycled in the US in 1980 (source: EPA).
• 2: The increased frequency by which the City of Portland picks up recycling and compost compared to trash starting in 2011 (source: CNBC).
• 20: Increase in percentage points of waste recycled as a result of Portland’s program (from 50 percent to 70 percent) (source: CNBC).
• 35: Percent by which the volume of garbage collected decreased as a result of the new collection schedule (source: CNBC).

UGLY IS BOUNTIFUL

Source: Pete (comedynose)/Flickr

• 2009: Year the European Union (EU) scrapped rules that made the sale of less-than-perfect produce difficult (source: The Telegraph).
• 48: Percent of shoppers who would buy oddly shaped fruit or vegetables if they were of good quality (source: Mintel, June 2014).
• 65: Percent of shoppers who would make the same choice, according to a different study (source: Asda).
• 75: Percent of people in that survey who said they would definitely buy “ugly” produce if it were cheaper (source: Asda).
• 10,000: Minimum number of customers of Imperfect Produce, which delivers “ugly” produce to the SF Bay Area, as of November 2016 (source: The Guardian).