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American Food Waste Facts:
- 40% of all food in the US is wasted
- 25% of all freshwater we consume - goes to produce the food we never eat
- 4% of the oil we consume - goes to produce the food we never eat
- $166 billion (retail value of preventable waste) - is spent on the food we never eat
- 135 million tons of GHG emissions - is created by the food we never eat
- * These numbers are for our whole food system from farms, processors, retailers and households.
The Average American:
- Household throws out 25% of the food they purchase
- Family of four tosses out more than $1,600 a year in wasted food
Packaged Food Expiration Dates, what do they really mean? Check out the website below for lots of helpful information.
Food Storage and Preservation- Tips for keeping food fresher longer
Food Donation- Click here for a list of organizations that accept Food Donations in Santa Cruz.
Ready to reduce your Food Waste? Take the Food Recovery Challenge
Other Food Waste Diversion Methods
Back yard Composting- Processing food scraps is fun, easy and great for the environment. The City offers a $40 rebate toward the purchase of an approved container. More information here
Share Waste Model-Meet neighbors, recycle organics, build soil. Read about one neighborhood that put this community building idea into action- [PDF]
Bokashi- The nonprofit Time Bank Santa Cruz promotes the Bokashi Composting Method because it’s quick, easy and highly efficient. It’s also rat-proof and takes relatively little time and labor to manage. This anaerobic fermentation process sequesters carbon in the soil. It quickly converts all food scraps (including meat, fish and bones) into a regenerative fertilizer. Email admin@timebanksantacruz.org for more information.
Regional Information
Protect Your Central Coast -Videos, links, tips regional information