It’s hard to ignore the costly ramifications of food waste. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nation finds that about one-third of food produced in the world for human consumption gets lost or wasted every year. In the United States alone, consumers, businesses and farms spend $218 billion — or 1.3 percent of the gross domestic product — growing, processing and disposing of food that is never eaten, while 40 million Americans face hunger every day, according to the nonprofit organization ReFed, a network of the nation’s leading business, nonprofit, foundation and government leaders committed to reducing U.S. food waste. In addition, food waste squanders valuable resources like energy and water and leaves behind a large carbon footprint. But all is not lost.
There are many opportunities in the manufacturing process and the supply chain to prevent food waste and institute effective food recovery solutions. We rounded up our favorite tips and tricks to reduce the impact of food waste that protects the planet and manufacturers’ bottom lines.
