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Food Waste 101
Overproduction, leftover plate waste, surplus ingredients—food waste is a complex issue that encompasses all edible food that ultimately goes uneaten. While many may not realize the severity of food waste in their everyday lives, global food waste contributes to a number of environmental, economic, and social implications. These issues require immediate attention to create a more efficient food supply chain. From production to household food waste, various strategies can be implemented to reduce its impact, with a high priority on prevention and advanced waste management. Looking for commercial food waste solutions?
What is Food Waste?
Food waste refers to food that was intended for human consumption but is discarded instead. Since food waste originates from various processes and sources, it can be categorized into two types: avoidable or unavoidable. Avoidable food waste is food that could have been consumed if properly managed, such as leftovers, imperfect produce, and waste due to improper storage, while unavoidable waste is food that was never intended for consumption, such as meat bones, eggshells, and vegetable peels. Organic waste that’s discarded is also classified as either food loss or food waste.
Food Loss
Food loss occurs at the early stages of production, often before it reaches retailers and consumers. There are various reasons why food loss occurs during production, post-harvest, processing, and distribution, such as spoilage, pests, mold, poor climate control, cooking loss, and strict grading and sorting processes.
Food Waste
Food waste is food that’s thrown away while still edible, typically occurring at the consumer and retail levels. Edible food is wasted for a number of reasons, including consumer preferences, confusion over date labels, poor inventory management, and physiological and social factors affecting consumer behavior.
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Facts & Statistics on Food Waste
Ready for some ‘food for thought’? Statistics on food waste in America and around the world reveal the reality of this growing issue.
Food in the U.S. is wasted
This translates to approximately 133 billion pounds and $161 billion worth of food wasted every year.
Tons of global food waste
One-third of the world’s food is wasted annually, causing economic losses of $750 billion.
The world’s total agricultural area
Around 1.4 billion hectares of agricultural land are utilized to produce food that is wasted.
Food wasted per person per day in the U.S.
American consumers waste about one pound of food per day, or 225-290 pounds per year.
People could be fed with wasted food
This is almost twice the number of undernourished people globally.
Reasons of Food Waste
There are numerous inefficiencies in the supply chain that contribute to the food waste crisis. By understanding the underlying causes of food waste, producers, retailers, and consumers can be more aware of their everyday habits and expectations.
Overconsumption and Overproduction
Overconsumption, which is the excessive consumption of food beyond what is required, occurs at the consumer level, with consumer purchasing habits, large portion sizes, and psychological factors all playing a role. Overproduction also leads to significant waste, with market demand and strict grading and sorting processes often causing manufacturers to produce more food than is required.
Expiration Date Misunderstanding
In the United States, there are no uniform federal standards that manufacturers are required to follow to label their foods (except for infant formula), meaning there’s large variation in which type of date can be listed on food products. This leads to widespread confusion among manufacturers, retailers, and consumers, causing perfectly good products to be thrown away prematurely.
Improper Storage
Improper storage conditions are a large contributor to food waste, with inconsistent temperature control, exposure to excess humidity, and improper pest control measures all causing food spoilage. From manufacturing and transportation to retailers and households, improper storage causes food waste at all stages of the supply chain.
Cosmetic Standards
Unfortunately, high cosmetic standards cause ‘ugly produce’ to be discarded, typically before it even reaches consumers. This is a complex issue, as strict grading systems by manufacturers and retailers enforce aesthetic expectations, while consumers unknowingly set these standards by favoring visually appealing produce.
Transportation and Handling Issues
Improper transportation and handling lead to damaged products and an increase in wasted food throughout the supply chain. These issues often stem from inadequate packaging, bad storage conditions, poor handling practices, and transportation inefficiencies, such as transit delays and lack of temperature control.
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Where Does Food Waste Come From?
Households
In the U.S., the average household wastes 31.9% of the food that its members obtain each year. Common causes of household food waste include overpurchasing, overpreparation, improper food storage, confusion regarding expiration dates, and lack of awareness.
Supermarkets
While many supermarkets don’t track their food waste, retailers in the U.S. generate around 4.99 million tons of food waste each year, with supermarkets contributing largely to this number. Common causes include improper storage, inefficiencies in inventory management, and confusion regarding expiration dates.
Restaurants
Every year, U.S. restaurants generate approximately 22 to 33 billion pounds of food waste. Common causes of restaurant food waste include overpreparation, inefficient inventory management, large portion sizes, and inaccurate demand forecasting.
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Consequences of Food Waste
Environmental Impact
Food loss causes severe damage to the environment, making it a top priority in sustainability initiatives. One of the environmental concerns regarding food waste is its role in resource depletion. Since the water, energy, land, and labor required to produce surplus food that’s never consumed are also wasted, the food waste crisis adds an unnecessary strain on natural resources.
That said, perhaps the largest environmental concern related to food waste is its contribution to global warming. When food waste decomposes in landfills, it produces methane emissions, a powerful greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change.
Food production also leads to biodiversity loss and pollution, as overproduction drives habitat destruction and disrupts natural ecosystems.
Economic impact
From production to retail and consumption, wasted food represents a loss of money at every stage of the supply chain. As mentioned above, food waste also wastes the resources required to produce it, meaning manufacturers experience great financial loss from the water, land, and labor used to produce food that is never sold or consumed.
The effects of this financial strain trickle down the food supply chain, with every level charging more to minimize the financial impact of waste.
In addition, businesses that produce excess food waste must consider the costs of waste management, as food waste disposal requires resources for collection, transportation, and landfill space.
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What is the Food Waste Recovery Hierarchy?
The U.S. Food Recovery Hierarchy is a framework that prioritizes actions that individuals and organizations can take to prevent and divert wasted food from landfills. With environmental sustainability as the top priority, this hierarchy places prevention at the top of the list, followed by various other methods that are aimed to minimize the environmental consequences of food waste. From most to least preferred, the Food Waste Recovery Hierarchy ranks each waste management approach as follows:
Most preferred
Least preferred
- Source Reduction
- Feed Hungry People
- Feed Animals
- Industrial Uses
- Composting
- Incineration or Landfill
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Approaches to Reducing Food Waste
There’s no one-size-fits-all solution to food waste; businesses must evaluate which waste management approach best fits their short- and long-term goals before choosing a method. From repurposing surplus ingredients to transforming waste into valuable resources, here are some of the popular approaches to food waste reduction.
Composting
Composting is the process of breaking down organic waste into nutrient-rich fertilizer that can be used in agricultural settings. By using bacteria and fungi to break down discarded food, individuals and businesses can use composting to reduce landfill waste, return nutrients to the earth, and support a circular economy.
Redistribution
Food donations should be a top priority across the supply chain, as their benefits extend far beyond environmental motives. Businesses that donate to food banks and shelters can help reduce food insecurity in their communities, ensuring that surplus food reaches those in need. Even more, businesses that donate may be eligible for tax deductions.
Recycling
Food waste recycling is the process of turning food scraps and leftovers into useful products and materials. This is an umbrella term that involves various approaches, such as composting, anaerobic digestion, and turning waste into animal feed—all of which contribute to environmental goals and help businesses stay compliant with food waste laws.
Food Byproduct Processing
There are many byproducts that are not typically consumed, such as peels, pulp, and seeds. Rather than throwing these organic materials away, they can be processed into new products, such as biofuels, cosmetics, or animal feed. In addition to reducing landfill use, businesses can use this approach to create a new revenue stream, therefore reducing the financial strain of food waste.
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Food Waste Solutions for Businesses
At Shapiro, we provide innovative recycling and byproduct solutions to help businesses of all sizes reduce food waste. By having a partner in waste management, your business can minimize the environmental and financial implications of waste, becoming a leader in sustainability.
Food Waste Recycling
Shapiro provides end-to-end food waste recycling services, with solutions that include farm waste disposal and commercial food waste collection, disposal, recycling, and upcycling. With a commitment to landfill diversion, we’ll work closely with your company to create a tailored solution.
Food Byproduct Waste Services
Shapiro specializes in transforming various types of waste into valuable products, offering services for food and food by-product waste, beverage waste, alcohol and ethanol disposal, and agricultural waste. We’ll convert this waste into useful resources like animal feed, bioenergy, biofuels, compost, and fertilizers.
Biochar Solutions
Shapiro’s biomass waste management services help businesses achieve long-term sustainability by aiding in the development of biomass feedstock streams. Our solutions include feedstock identification and collection, transport, storage, pre-processing, and more.
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What Can Food Waste be Used for?
Food waste recycling and upcycling turns something that was once harmful to the environment into a valuable resource that supports a healthy environment. Food that’s thrown away can be converted into:
Animal Feed
Certain types of food waste, such as vegetable scraps and grains, can be safely processed and repurposed as animal feed. Different methods can be used to accomplish this, such as ensiling (fermentation), rendering (cooking), or drying. This approach reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills while acting as a cost-effective alternative to conventional feed.
Biogas Production
Food waste that’s processed in an anaerobic digestor is converted into biogas, a renewable energy source that can be used for electricity, heating, or fuel. In addition to reducing reliance on fossil fuels, anaerobic digestors also produce nutrient-rich digestate, a byproduct that can be used as fertilizer.
Biochar
Biochar is a carbon-rich product that’s created by heating organic waste in a low-oxygen environment. This charcoal-like substance offers a range of benefits for the agricultural sector, such as enhancing soil fertility, improving water retention, and increasing crop yields. Biochar is also considered a direct solution for carbon sequestration, making it a valuable strategy for increasing sustainability.
Compost for Soil Enrichment
When food waste is composted, it creates a nutrient-rich soil amendment that can be used to promote soil health, prevent soil erosion, and increase crop yield. For these reasons, it can be used in a variety of agricultural settings, such as farms, community gardens, and landscaping projects.
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Understanding Food Waste Regulations and Policies in the U.S.
Federal, state, and local policies are shaping the future of food waste management. To address food waste in America, each sector plays a vital role:
Local Regulations
Local governments play an important role in food waste prevention and reduction, as they often have specific requirements for food waste handling and management, especially for businesses that generate large amounts of food waste. New York City’s Commercial Organics Law, for instance, requires certain businesses to separate their organic waste in order to divert food from landfills.
State-Level Guidelines
Food waste policies vary widely by state, with some states having specific recycling mandates for businesses, especially large generators of food waste, and penalties for non-compliance. Since every state is different, some have a heavier focus on initiatives like composting, while others require increased food donations. For instance, California’s SB 1383 requires all residents and businesses in California to recycle food and yard waste.
Federal Regulations
Various federal regulations have passed to support nationwide sustainability goals, such as the U.S. Food Recovery Act. This act provides funding and establishes requirements to reduce food waste and standardize date labeling on food. The Good Samaritan Food Donation Act has been another important milestone, as it encourages businesses and organizations to donate surplus food by protecting them from liability.
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Want to learn more about food waste?
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Common Questions About Food Waste
Food waste contributes to a variety of environmental issues, such as methane emissions, pollution, resource depletion, and loss of biodiversity. It also has financial implications, representing a loss of money at every stage of the supply chain.
To address wasted food in America, households and businesses can adopt waste management strategies like composting, anaerobic digestion, upcycling, and donations.
Among the largest concerns of food waste is its role in producing methane emissions, a powerful greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming.
While large quantities of food waste are sent to landfills, food waste can also be composted, donated, or recycled to increase sustainability.
In the United States, households are the largest contributors to food waste. That said, every level of the supply chain is guilty of wasting food, including manufacturers and retailers.
Some of the U.S.’ most wasted foods include milk, bread, potatoes, cheese, apples, bananas, and more.
Food waste can be turned into animal feed, biogas, biochar, and compost.
There are several underlying causes of food waste in America, including overproduction, confusion over expiration dates, improper storage, strict cosmetic standards, and inefficiencies in transportation and handling.
Yes, businesses that donate food are eligible for tax deductions. However, they must meet certain requirements, such as donating to eligible organizations.
Food waste collection and pickup programs generally provide waste collection bins to participants and collect them on a predetermined schedule. That said, programs may vary depending on their specific resources, requirements, and objectives.
Food waste encompasses spoiled foods, plate waste, manufacturing by-products, imperfect produce, uneaten foods, and more.
Food waste prevention helps create a more sustainable future, addressing issues such as pollution, methane emissions, resource depletion, and more.
Yes, there are environmental, economic, and social benefits of reducing food waste, including lower greenhouse gas emissions, reduced pollution, financial savings, and increased food security.
AI, machine learning, and IoT can all be leveraged to increase efficiency in the supply chain, helping to improve demand forecasting, enhance inventory management, and increase the overall accuracy of food management systems.
Arizona is considered the state with the worst overall food waste.
Farmers can improve demand forecasting, use advanced harvesting techniques, leverage real-time monitoring devices to enhance storage methods and production processes, and partner with food banks to donate surplus fruits and vegetables.
In the United States, 30 to 40% of the food supply is wasted, which translates to approximately 133 billion pounds of food each year.
American consumers waste about one pound of food per day, or 225-290 pounds per year.
Food waste can be recycled in several ways, including composting, anaerobic digestion, and converting it into animal feed.
Businesses can reduce food waste by donating surplus ingredients, enhancing inventory management, improving demand forecasting, ensuring accurate storage conditions, and composting waste, among others.
Yes, food waste contributes to land and water pollution, as well as greenhouse gas emissions.
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Founded in 2007, Skip Shapiro Enterprises, LLC is America’s leading organic waste solutions company. We provide superior solutions for unsaleable finished products, liquid waste, supermarket waste, agricultural streams, byproduct and ingredient waste and are dedicated to 100% landfill diversion/recycling and beneficial reuse.
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