According to the Environmental Protection Agency, almost half the food wasted in the US, approximately 44 percent, occurs in consumers’ homes. The Natural Resources Defense Council estimates a family of four throws out $2,200 of food each year, but since the US has some of the lowest food prices relative to income in the world, this waste likely goes unnoticed by most consumers.
“Because the economic impact of food purchases is not as apparent in the US or felt as significantly as it often is elsewhere in the world, Americans are less aware and less affected by their food waste output,” says Todd Bukowski, senior packaging consultant for HAVI Global Solutions.