NEW REPORT: Household food waste trending upwards in the United States

Households waste more food than any other supply chain segments in the US – about 66.5 million tons of waste! US officials recognized this problem when they committed to halving food loss and waste by 2030 under the Obama administration in 2015. Considering that the US lacks consistent federal measurements of food wasted at the household level, the authors’ looked at the first 4 waves of their own national survey that tracks household food waste. The first 4 waves of the self-administered surveys were conducted from 2021-2022. Because this time period aligns with post-COVID and lesser restrictions, the data is inherently linked with pose-COVID household trends in the US.

Key Findings from this Report

1) A 280% year-over-year increase in self-reported food waste was found over the course of the survey
Between early 2021 and early 2022, this report found a 280% increase in food waste – that’s 363.47 g/person over the year! However, since the data collection started in 2021, the authors are not certain that this large increase jeopardizes achievement of the 2030 US food waste reduction goal that was set in 2015.

Fresh produce (i.e. fresh fruits and vegetables) was the largest fraction of waste per each survey wave. 

2) Dining out more frequently increased household food waste

The authors found that households wasted more food during weeks they dined out and that sample households dined out significantly more in 2022 than in 2021 – although the latter may be explained by looser COVID-19 restrictions. Households that ate all meals at home wasted less than households that ate out more frequently. Also, households that reported events that caused them to create unusually high waste levels, like unexpectedly dining out, were linked with an increase in their total waste.

3) More frequent grocery shopping increased household food waste 

The authors’ found that those who shop once a month or less waste significantly less food overall than those who shop more frequently. Higher levels of waste can also be attributed to the discard of expired items purchased in bulk or on sale.