11 facts about food wastage

Food waste is everyone’s problem.

From production lines to our fridges, to the bottom of our trash bins. The wastage of food is leading to a drainage of resources, money, and even clean air.

That’s why we’ve created the Respect Food campaign. We want to inspire and encourage people to reduce their food waste and save both their money and the environment. We believe that every small amount of food saved adds up, and it can help hugely in slowing down climate change and keeping ecosystems in balance.

These 11 facts will lift the lid on food waste. Use our calculator to see how you can make a difference economically and environmentally by taking them into account.

1. 1.3billion tons of food is wasted each year.

2. Wasted food amounts to over $1trillion of loss and wastage annually.

3. If all the food wasted was made into a country, it would be the third largest carbon dioxide producer in the world, surpassing the carbon dioxide produced by countries such as India and Russia. A total of 3.3billion tons of carbon dioxide is produced by food waste.

4. The average European and North American wastes more than his or her body weight in food each year, throwing away 100kg of food.

5. ¼ of wasted food could feed all 795million of undernourished people in the world.

6. Half of all produce is thrown away in the US because it is too ‘ugly’ to eat. This amounts to 60million tons of fruit and vegetables. ‘Ugly’ fruit and vegetables make up a third of all wasted food.

7. Fruit and vegetables are the most wasted food group, followed by meat and dairy.

8. Promotions in supermarkets can lead to more food waste. When we think we are getting more for our money, we buy more which we won’t necessarily use.

9. Only 37% of people know the difference between ‘use by’ and ‘best before’ dates. Foods with ‘use by’ dates are highly perishable and must be eaten before the date written. Foods with ‘best before’ dates can be eaten after the date on the packaging, although it won’t be at its best quality.

10. Food waste in developing countries usually happens because of a lack of infrastructure, early on in the supply chain. Food waste in developed countries, however, happens later on in the chain, by consumers through household waste.

11. Rising awareness has meant that the rate of food waste has fallen. Between 2007 and 2012, household food waste was reduced by 15%.

So let’s carry on this change and reduce food waste even more. Save your money and save the planet by taking the steps to Respect Food. For more information on this topic read this article.

Sources:
https://foodtank.com/news/2015/06/world-environment-day-10-facts-about-food-waste-from-bcfn/
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jul/13/us-food-waste-ugly-fruit-vegetables-perfect
http://www.fao.org/save-food/resources/keyfindings/en/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-26908613
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jan/10/uk-throwing-away-13bn-of-food-each-year-latest-figures-show