Updated on 09/04/18 | Originally Published on 04/14/16
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pounds of CO₂e
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The annual amount of food waste Americans generate has tripled since 1960
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Since 2000, the amount of food and yard waste we create has increased each year
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Over 50 percent of the contents of a typical US curbside garbage can is compostable
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All of the above are true
“Organic waste” refers to its biological nature. Keeping organic waste out of landfills is a priority for zero-waste goals.
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Food and yard waste are the second- and third-largest parts of our waste stream
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Sixty-six percent of US adults are either interested in composting or have done it already
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The financial loss of food wasted in the US is about $667 per person per year
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Food waste is only a financial and ethical problem, but it is not an environmental one
Trashing uneaten food wastes the energy used to produce it. And in landfills, all organic waste emits methane, a greenhouse gas.
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When dining out, ask for a paper doggy bag for an uneaten portion of your meal
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When grocery shopping, only buy the ingredients you know you will need in short order
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Find out if your city has a composting program for food waste. If not, petition for one
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All of the above
Nationwide, about 95% of our food waste is landfilled. This presents a huge opportunity for reducing GHGs with composting!
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Composting traps CO2, keeping it from entering the atmosphere
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Composting sustains 2X more jobs than landfilling
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Composting increases the need for chemicals in farming
Composting is a great solution for food and yard waste from homes and businesses that strengthens our farmland and our economy.
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Composting protects against soil erosion
A GROWING CHALLENGE. AN ORGANIC SOLUTION.
These days, recycling is almost universally available, and more and more people are actually recycling! But solutions for organic waste (like food and yard waste) have been slower to catch on. Organic waste shouldn’t go to landfills where it creates GHGs, and that presents opportunities.
