Federal government announces goal to reduce food waste

  • Food waste is a major issue in the United States, with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimating that Americans waste 133 billion pounds of food each year, or 31% of the overall food supply.  The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that 21% of all the waste in landfills is food.
  • USDA has joined forces with EPA to announce the nation’s first-ever food waste reduction goal — a 50% reduction in food waste by 2030.
  • To further the waste reduction effort, the federal government intends to partner with charitable organizations; faith-based organizations; the private sector; and local, state, and tribal governments.  Specific to the private sector, USDA and EPA are calling on entities such as food service companies, institutions, restaurants, and grocery stores to target and implement their own aggressive goals for reducing food waste in the months and years ahead.