Each day in the US approximately one pound of food per person is wasted.
Today, it is estimated that 1/3 of ALL the food produced in the world goes to waste. This equals 103 million tons (81.4 billion pounds) of food waste generated in America in 2017, or between 30-40 percent of the food supply, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. This means that either these products never leave the farm, get lost or spoiled during distribution, or are thrown away once purchased. This could be enough to feed every undernourished person ON THE PLANET. Reducing food waste would reduce the impact of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions. Michigan has a goal of carbon neutrality by 2050 and reducing food waste would help Michiganders reach this goal.
The Food Recovery Hierarchy prioritizes actions that can be taken to prevent and divert wasted foods.
The top levels of the hierarchy are the best ways to prevent and divert wasted foods because they create the most benefits for the environment, society, and the economy.
Aaron Hiday
HidayA@Michigan.gov
517-282-7546
Solid Waste Program Staff Contacts - assignments by county
Cutting food waste in half by 2030, is one of the key recommendations for Michigan to achieving carbon neutrality.
The Michigan Food Waste Roadmap is a plan to reduce food loss and waste in Michigan, that will identify strategies to guide policy makers on potential incentives, funding mechanisms, technical assistance, outreach, policy changes, and other programs that could be developed to reduce food waste among Michigan businesses and institutions.
... prioritizes actions we can all take to prevent and divert wasted food. Each level in the hierarchy focuses on different management strategies for recovering value from unwanted food. The top levels share the best ways to prevent and divert waste food. They provide the most benefits for the environment, society, and the economy, while the bottom levels represent the worst options. Preventing food waste is the #1 action each of us can do to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and curb climate change too!
...receive 167 MILLION TONS of garbage. Over 50% of typical municipal garbage set out at the curb is compostable.
Of the remaining garbage, 21% is food scraps alone. 15% is paper and/or paperboard, 8% is yard trimmings, and 8% is wood waste.
Infographic from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.
You are connected to the food that you purchase and eat. That connection has a lasting impact on the environment, your mental and physical health, the health of those around you, your bank account, and more!
As an individual you can make the largest difference through source reduction. Use the tips and tricks below and take the Food Hero Pledge to help reduce your carbon and food waste footprint!
Shop Smart
Most people tend to buy more food than they need. Buying in bulk may be convenient, but research has shown that this shopping method often leads to more food waste.
Making frequent trips to the grocery store every few days, rather than a bulk run, will help you avoid buying more than you need.
Use all the food you purchased from your last trip to the grocery store before going to back.
Decide what you want to make for the week and make a list of those items and stick to the list. When planning meals remember portion sizes and only get as much as you will eat.
If you shop smarter for only what you need, you will be reducing your food waste while saving money.
Store Food Correctly
Improper storage leads to a large amount of food waste.
Many people are unsure how to store fruits and vegetables - this can lead to premature ripening and even rotten products.
Find helpful food storage tips on the US Food and Drug Administration resources on Are you Storing Food Safely Web page.
Don't be a perfectionist
What makes food 'imperfect'?
Imperfect or ugly fruits and vegetables are often thrown away because of their imperfections, but they have the same nutritional value and taste as their 'perfect' counterparts.
When consumers demand 'perfect' fruits and vegetables they are often leaving the 'ugly' products to rot and spoil.
This has become such a large issue that many grocery store chains, like Walmart and Whole Foods, have started offering discounts for 'ugly' fruits and vegetables.
Save leftovers
In an ideal world, where you are shopping smart, leftovers would not be created. Shopping smart allows you to better portion food you're your household. As you get better at smart shopping, there should be fewer and fewer leftovers created.
If you have leftovers from a meal, don't forget about them in the fridge! Leftovers are often forgotten in the fridge and thrown away.
Storing leftovers in clear, rather than opaque containers helps encourage and remind you that the food is still in your fridge.
Keep your serving sizes in check
Overeating can be a problem for many people. Keeping your portion sizes within a healthy range helps keep you healthy but also reduces food waste.
Being mindful of how hungry you are and practice portioning based off that hunger. This is a great way to reduce food waste.
Get friendly with your freezer
Freezing food is one of the easiest ways to preserve food and there are many types of food that freeze well.
Learn more about how and what to freeze with the USDA Guide to Freezing Foods.
Understand expiration dates
Learn the difference between "best-by", "sell-by", "use-by", and expiration dates.
"Expires on" and "Sell By" can be confusing terms that companies often use on food labels. The US does not regulate these terms and this means there are inconsistencies and food producers setting their own dates and terms.
"Sell by" is used to inform retailers when the product should be sold or removed from the shelves. "Best by" is a suggested date that consumers should use their products by.
Neither of these terms means that the product is unsafe to eat after the given date.
For more information, visit USDA's Food Product Dating.
Michigan-Specific Resources
Videos
Graphics
Studies show that on average, a U.S. household wastes about a third of the food they purchase every year. This accounts for 30-40% of food loss in the US annually and is valued at $240 billion.
Food waste ends up costing consumers the most due to differences in wholesale and retail pricing. Some common reasons for food waste in the home are unplanned purchases and a lack of date label understanding. These tend to cause consumers to over purchase, resulting in food spoilage.
You can reduce food waste in your home by practicing proper food storage, meal preparation, and composting.
Additional Resources
Meal Preparation, Food Storage and Cooking with Scraps
There are many community organizations that can play a big role in preventing food waste; these are programs like schools, universities, governments, non-profit food distribution agencies, and faith-based organizations.
They also have the unique ability to educate people on the importance of food conservation and donations.
How you can as a community help
Source Reduction
Feed Hungry People
Feed Animals
Industrial Uses
Composting
Additional Resources
Food Waste Reduction in K-12 and Universities
Composting
Non-Profit and Faith-Based Organizations
Videos
Food is currently being wasted at all steps of the supply chain - the first being agriculture and manufacturing. This includes crop producers, dairy farmers, animal farmers/livestock producers, plant and animal processors, and manufacturing businesses.
Some food products do not even the leave the farm. What are some reasons that food may not leave the farm?
According to ReFED, in 2020 Consumer-facing businesses threw out 50 billion pounds of food, that's 40% of all the wasted food in the U.S. annually.
The commercial business sector includes restaurants, grocery stores, caterers/event planners, hotels, universities, hospitals, prisons, military bases, and government buildings.
Businesses can help reduce their food waste by tracking their food waste, hosting a waste free event, making a meal plan, and shopping list. Having a flexible menu to use leftover food is also a great way to prevent food waste.
Additional Resources
General
Meal Planning
Waste Free Event Planning
Guidance Documents
Videos
Flyers
Each year in the US, 52 million tons of food is sent to landfills, and an additional 10 million tons remains unharvested on farms, totaling about 63 million tons of waste annually. Food in the landfill creates methane gas which is 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide.
Keeping food out of the landfill protects the environment.
Landfilling food waste also costs you all of the potential benefits in the hierarchy like the ability to feed people, animals, and create a useful product through composting.
To learn more about the composition of Michigan's waste and the value of food recovery and recycle, see the the 2019 Michigan Recycling Economic Impact & Recycled Commodities Market Assessment and Gap Analysis 2021 Update, both commissioned by EGLE.
Additional Resources
