Jan 4, 2024 - Food and Drink
Virginia's food waste, charted
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Uneaten holiday leftovers are filling trash cans by the tons after this season.
State of throw-away: Virginia had nearly 2.1 million tons of food waste (uneaten or unsold) in 2022, an 11.1% increase from 2016, per data from the nonprofit ReFED.
- More than 63% of that waste came from residential households.
- About 20% came from food service.
Why it matters: Wasting food also wastes the resources that went into producing it, with ripple effects on climate resources and the economy.
- Food waste makes up 24% of municipal landfill input and contributes to 6.1% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions.
- On average, a person wastes $759 on uneaten food each year.
Zoom out: Across the country, people and businesses did not eat or sell 88.7 million tons of food.
- That's equivalent to nearly 145 billion meals worth $473 billion.
- Residential waste made up 42.8 million tons, or 48%, of that total.
The big picture: Be mindful of your food waste. ReFED suggests following the "Food Waste Five" strategies for reducing waste at home:
- Store food properly.
- Freeze food to extend its freshness.
- Dedicate a day each week for eating leftovers.
- Understand the meaning behind date "best by" labels.
- Plan your meals before buying groceries.