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Each year, an estimated 40% of the food supply goes to waste in the US; that’s over 136 billion pounds, worth approximately $218 billion. That works out at 417.8lb of wasted food, worth $666, for every American, each year. The average household (2.63 people) produces food waste to the value of $1,752.

The government have set their own goals to reduce the food waste which we produce as a nation, however there’s a level of responsibility on us all to do what we can to help combat the issue.

We’ve been busy researching the food waste problem in the US to launch our brand new food waste calculator, allowing you to work out just how much money your household wastes each year on thrown away food and how this compares to the US average. We also reveal the total level of food waste across each US state and the 100 most populous cities, as well as showcasing the expected value of thrown away food this Thanksgiving.

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How Much Food Does Your Household Waste Each Year?

Ever wondered how much food your household wastes compared to the average American? In just a few simple steps we’ll help you calculate just how much your food waste amounts to…

How many people live in your household?

How much fresh food do you typically throw away each week?

Fruit

How many? Avocado
How many? Peach
How many? Plum
How much (8oz)? Strawberries
How much (6oz)? Blueberries
How much (8oz)? Grapes
How much (6oz)? Raspberries
How many? Apple
How many? Banana
How many? Kiwi
How many? Melon
How many? Orange
How many? Pear
How many? Pineapple
How many? Lemon
How many? Grapefruit

Vegetables

How many? Eggplant
How many? Asparagus
How much (4oz)? French Beans
How many? Broccoli
How many? Cabbage
How much (8oz)? Carrot
How many? Celery
How many? Zucchini
How many? Cucumber
How much (4oz)? Mushroom
How many? Beetroot
How much (8oz)? Cherry Tomatoes
How many? Tomato
How many? Peppers
How much (8oz)? Onion
How many? Potatoes
How many? Lettuce
How much (8oz)? Spinach

Bread

How many slice? Brown Bread
How many slice? White Bread
How many? Bread Rolls
How many? Tortilla Wraps
How many? Croissants

Dairy

How much? Milk (0.25 gallon)
How much (4oz)? Cheese
How many? Eggs
How many? Yoghurt
How much (4oz)? Butter
How much (4oz)? Sour Cream

Meat

How many? Bacon
How many? Chicken Breast
How much (8oz)? Beef Mince
How much (4oz)? Sliced Ham
How many? Sausages
How many? Pork Chops

Your household wastes:

$0.00

of food each year

$0.00

of food each month

$0.00

of food each week

That's $ per person, which is % than the average American.

How Much Food Does Every State Waste Each Year?

When broken down by state, we ultimately see California producing the highest level of food waste, at a value of more than a staggering $26 billion every year. How does your state compare?

Over $10 billion
Over $5 billion
Over $2.5 billion
Over $1 billion
Over $500 million
Less than $500 million
Rank
State
Annual State Food Waste (lb)
Annual State Food Waste ($)

How Much Food Do The USA’s Biggest Cities Waste Each Year?

When we break the data down to city level, we see New Yorkers producing a collective food waste each year worth more than $4 billion, followed by Los Angeles in the second spot at just under $4 billion. How does your city compare to the USA’s 150 biggest cities?

Rank
City
Annual City Food Waste (lb)
Annual City Food Waste ($)

How Much Food Is Wasted On Thanksgiving In The US?

Thanksgiving is a time for getting together to celebrate with family and start the Holiday season, but it’s also a day when Americans produce a shocking amount of food waste. Based on a classic Thanksgiving menu prepared from scratch at home; here’s how much the food waste produced on this one day alone is valued at...

How much food each state will waste on Thanksgiving this year…

Over $200 million
Over $15 million
Over $100 million
Over $25 million
Over $10 million
Under $10 million
Rank
State
Annual State Food Waste ($)

How much food the USA’s biggest cities will waste on Thanksgiving this year…

Rank
City
State
Annual City Food Waste ($)

How Can You Reduce Your Food Waste At Home?

With the average US household wasting an estimated $1,7352 worth of food each and every year, it’s important that we each do our bit to minimise this as much as possible.

Aside from this, the organic matter that goes to landfill is estimated to produce more than 20% of all methane emissions, a key contributor to global climate change.

All whilst 41 million Americans, including 13 million children, face hunger.

It’s time to do your bit.

Here’s 5 quick and easy ways to do your bit and reduce your own home’s food waste.

Tip 1: Shop Smart & Often

Shopping smart, small and often helps to reduce waste by ensuring you’re not buying more fresh food than you can realistically consume. Plan meals in advance and carefully write a shopping list, disciplining yourself to stick to it.

Tip 2: Use Small Plates To Avoid Over-Serving

Get yourself into a habit of not serving portions larger than you’ll eat by using smaller plates. If you’re not cooking, and therefore, serving, more food than you’ll consume; you’ll quickly start to reduce your waste food.

Tip 3: Save & Use Leftovers

However hard you try, you’ll struggle to eliminate leftovers from your household completely, and that’s fine; so long as they’re not being unnecessarily thrown away. Be sure to save leftovers and incorporate these into your daily, or weekly, meals.

Tip 4: Keep Track of Your Food Waste

Keeping a written record of the food you’re wasting can be a real motivator to help you further reduce waste in the future, especially when you add in dollars. You’ll quickly start to notice trends which can help you plan meals, and shopping, a little better.

Tip 5: Consider ‘Imperfect’ Foods

Whether for cosmetic reasons, being off-spec, excess inventory, undervalued or simply in the wrong packaging; there's a whole host of reasons why food gets classed as ‘imperfect.’

Consider shopping with Imperfect Foods to save up to 30% on your groceries and do your bit to reduce food waste

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