*An estimated 316 million pounds of food will be wasted in the U.S. on Thanksgiving — half a billion dollars worth of groceries thrown away in a single day.
*It takes an area the size of China to grow the food that is thrown away each year.
*Food loss and waste produces nearly five times more greenhouse-gas emissions than the aviation industry.
About 316 million pounds of food will be wasted this Thanksgiving, according to ReFED, a national nonprofit dedicated to ending loss and waste across the food system.
The 316 million pounds of food represents more than $556 million worth of groceries wasted in a single day. This discarded food could provide five meals each to the more than 48 million individuals experiencing food insecurity in the United States. In New Jersey, officials estimate that 1 million residents are food unsafe.
ReFED reports that nearly two-thirds, 58 percent, of the food wasted on Thanksgiving will come from just two sources: turkey and milk. The amount of wasted turkey alone is about 8.2 million whole turkeys, about 4 percent of all the turkeys the United States produces each year.
This wasted food will release nearly 5,000 metric tons of methane, or enough electricity to power 26,000 homes a year.
Write a Reply or Comment
You should Sign In or Sign Up account to post comment.