ASifc, AEPA
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
FOOD LOSS AND WASTE FACTSHEET
DECEMBER 2019
DID YOU KNOW?
• EPA estimates that more food (over 76 billion pounds per year) reaches landfills and combustion facilities than any
other material in everyday trash, constituting 22% of discarded municipal solid waste.1 Landfills are the third largest
source of human-related methane emissions in the United States.2
• Food waste not only impacts landfill space and emissions, it hurts the U.S. economy. The U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA) estimates the value of food loss for retailers and consumers each year to be over $161 billion.3
• Across the globe, food loss and waste have a combined carbon footprint of 4.4 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide
equivalent according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.
• Globally, food waste consumes 21% of all fresh water.4
EPA TAKING ACTION TO REDUCE FOOD WASTE
Winning on Reducing Food Waste Month - EPA and
USDA worked with President Trump to successfully
designate April 2019 as "Winning on Reducing Food
Waste Month" to garner national attention on the need to
address this important issue.
Winning on Reducing Food Waste Initiative - In October
2018, EPA, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and
the USDA signed a formal agreement to align efforts
across the federal government to educate consumers,
engage stakeholders, and develop and evaluate solutions
to food loss and waste.
In April 2019, the three agencies released a federal
strategy prioritizing six main areas for action:
1. Enhance Interagency Coordination
2. Increase Consumer Education and Outreach Efforts
3. Improve Coordination and Guidance on Food Loss and Waste Measurement
4. Clarify and Communicate information on Food Safety, Food Date Labels, and Food Donations
5. Collaborate with Private Industry to Reduce Food Loss and Waste Across the Supply Chain
6. Encourage Food Waste Reduction by Federal Agencies in their Respective Facilities
Food Recovery Challenge - A voluntary incentive program in which EPA works with over 1,000 businesses and organizations to
set data-driven goals, implement targeted strategies to reduce food waste in their operations and report results to compete for
30-40% OF ALL AVAILABLE
FOOD in the u.s. is WASTED
Do your part. Join your federal partners
in reducing food waste.
<>EPA
#NoWastedFood
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U.S. Food Loss and Waste 2030 Champions - EPA and USDA
launched this group to showcase private sector commitments.
Currently, 25 businesses have made a public commitment to
reduce food loss and waste in their own operations in the U.S.
by 50% by the year 2030.
Coordination with Food Waste Organizations - EPA, USDA,
and FDA signed agreements with ReFED, Inc. in April 2019 and
the Food Waste Reduction Alliance (FWRA) in October 2019
to collaborate on reducing food loss and waste in the U.S.
ReFED is nonprofit working with over 50 business, nonprofit,
foundation, and government leaders committed to reducing
U.S. food waste. FWRA is an industry-led initiative focused on
reducing food waste that includes the Grocery Manufacturing
Association, Food Marketing Institute, and the National
Restaurant Association.
Technological Innovation and Infrastructure - In April
2019, EPA announced $110,000 in funding for food waste
management and infrastructure projects (to expand anaerobic
digestion capacity) in Wisconsin, Vermont, and Washington, EPA also opened a Small Business Innovation Research Grants
program solicitation in 2019, which included "preventing food waste" as a topic.
President's Environmental Youth Awards and Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators - In July 2019,
EPA and the White House Council of Environmental Quality recognized students and teachers from across the country who are
promoting environmental stewardship and furthering environmental education in their communities and schools. There were 3
student projects and 4 teacher projects related to food waste that received awards in 2019.
Environmental Education Grants - Since 2016, EPA has awarded over $338,000 in grants for classroom and youth organization
projects on food waste reduction practices.
Guide to Conducting Student Food Waste Audits - EPA, USDA, and the University of Arkansas developed a tool to help schools
calculate the amount of food wasted in their cafeterias and share tips on food waste prevention.
State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Efforts -
• Winning on Reducing Food Waste State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Pledge - To date, 34 government
organizations have signed onto EPAs pledge which signifies their interest in working with federal partners to build
upon efforts to address food loss and waste in the U.S.
• Some states and local governments are placing mandates on food recycling from certain food service
establishments. Others are providing guidance and technical assistance on feeding food scraps to animals, liability
protection, and tax incentives with respect to food donation and recovery. Various cities are roiling out food scraps
collection programs.
ENDNOTES
1 United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2019). Sustainable Management of Food Basics. Retrieved from the Environmental Protection Agency website:
https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-managenient-food/sustainable-nianagement-food-basics
2 United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2019). Methane Emissions from Landfills. Retrieved from the Environmental Protection Agency website:
https://www.epa.gov/lmop/basic-iiiformation-about-landfill-gas
3 Buzby, J, Wells, H., & Hyman: 1 (2014). The Estimated Amount, Value, and Calories of Postharvest Food Losses at the Retail and Consumer Levels in the United States.
Retrieved from the United States Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service website:
4 ReFED. (2019). The Multi-Billion Dollar Food Waste Problem. Retrieved from ReFED's website: https://www.refed.com/?sort=water-conservation
U.S. Food Loss and Waste 2030 Champions
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