The “State of Food Waste in America” survey, conducted jointly by MITRE and Gallup, provides significant insights into the food waste problem in the United States. This extensive survey, which gathered data from over 9,000 households across all 50 states, discovered that American households discard an average of 6.2 cups of food per week. This amount sums up to 322 cups per year, equivalent to filling 360 medium-sized take-out containers. The primary reasons for this waste include leftover spoilage and overreliance on date labels. It’s notable that 87% of households admitted to wasting edible food in the previous week.
Despite the majority of households recognizing the importance of reducing food waste, only 33% are aware of the potential savings — at least $1,500 annually per household — that could be achieved by minimizing waste. This finding is particularly striking considering that 81% of households cite price as a major concern related to food. Moreover, while 86% believe that Americans should do more to reduce food waste, only 40% consider reducing environmental impacts as a significant motivation, though 55% do acknowledge the link between food waste and climate change.
