Who, Me Waste Food

Sustainable America reports that 1 in 3 Americans don’t think the amount of food they waste is a problem. A poll found that 63% of respondents are concerned about the amount of food wasted in the United States.

Americans, in fact, throw out approximately 25% of the food they purchase, costing the average family of four $1,365 to $2,275 a year.

It seems that packaging of food products, affects buying preferences and shelf life. An example of this would be buying fresh meat. Meat over wrapped on a foam tray will last shorter time than meat which is shrink-wrapped only. It could be as much as 20 days. If you saw this information at the store, would it influence your choice?

The encouraging news is that consumer education can help change attitudes and behaviors. When the respondents were shown facts about the environmental, economic and social impacts of food waste, 60% said the impact were more than they expected. Knowing the facts 73% said we should all try to make it a high priority to limit food waste.