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Food Waste Challenge

Food waste is a big issue – and there’s something you can do about it. Commit to challenging yourself to wasting less food today.

Take the challenge
Earth Month Events
A variety of packaged fresh fruits and vegetables are displayed on cardboard boxes at an outdoor market.

Did you know?

The United States has a wasted food issue. It’s a problem for our planet and all of us who live on it.

237 million tons

of food in the U.S. go unsold or uneaten every year.

4%

of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions are generated by wasted food.

35%

of all wasted food is generated in households.

$3,000

is the average amount households could save annually by wasting less.

Impact

You Can Make a Difference

According to the findings from this MITRE-Gallup report on food waste:

  • People who consistently make use of leftovers waste 70% less food than people frequently toss their leftovers.
  • People who never or rarely throw away food that has passed its date label waste 55% less food than people who often or always toss food based on its date label.
  • People who make and stick to their shopping lists waste 38% less food than people who only sometimes stick to their shopping lists.
I commit to wasting less food

Join the effort to waste less food

By accepting this challenge, you’re making a personal commitment to reducing wasted food in your own home, school, or workplace. Taken collectively, small steps like the ones outlined here work to: 1) Prevent waste and help you make the most of the food (and food budget) you have; 2) Curb greenhouse gas emissions from food by ensuring good food stays out of your local landfill; 3) Build momentum for systems change, inspiring others to take notice and take action on issues like food waste, the climate emergency, and food insecurity.

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I am taking this challenge:*
I/we challenge myself/ourselves to waste less food by:*
With about half of all wasted food (42 million tons!) occurring in homes, I/we know that individuals have an important part to play in reducing the amount of food that ends up in landfills. I/we want to do our part to reduce food waste for the health of the planet and everyone who calls it home. To do this, the personal actions I/we commit to take this year include:
A man in a green shirt and cap carries a box of assorted vegetables to a truck.

About The Challenge

While Spoonfuls is focused primarily on preventing wasted food in retail environments (like grocery stores), we recognize that wasted food occurs across our food system. That’s why we are dedicated to spreading awareness about the broader issue of wasted food and the ways we can all play a role in reducing it. The impacts of wasted food on climate are significant, but the impacts of our own actions can be significant, too.

Take the challenge

Take Daily Action

Use our Food Waste Challenge Calendar to build food-saving habits into your routine through daily action. Save this calendar as a reference by screenshotting or downloading a copy using the link below.

Download Calendar

Upcoming Earth Month Events

In honor of Earth Month, we’re hosting events to learn more about the issue of wasted food and the opportunities we – as a community – have to address it. We’ll be announcing our webinar soon. Stay tuned!

About that Date: What you should but might not know about “expiration dates”

April 9 at 12 PM | Webinar
In honor of Food Waste Prevention Week, we’re debunking myths about food “expiration dates,” exploring their origins and impact on food waste. Our presenters Liz Miller, Senior Community Relations Manager at Spoonfuls, and Akif Khan, Clinical Fellow at Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic, will also discuss current policy efforts to improve labeling standards.

This event is free. Registration is required.

Register

“Just Eat It” Film Screening & Discussion

May 1 at 5:30 PM | GreenRoots Teaching Kitchen
Join us for a screening of the documentary “Just Eat It: A Food Waste Story,” where you’ll learn about wasted food and its global impact. While watching the film, enjoy food from a local restaurant. Discussion to follow.

This event is free, but registration by 4/23 is required.

Register

More Resources

  • Food Waste Inventory: Use this tool to help you figure out how much, what, and why you waste, and inspire habit change in the areas you need it!
  • Recommended Reading: Check out our blogs below for our best tips for wasting less food.
  • Advocacy Toolkit: Systemic change is critical to addressing wasted food, food insecurity, and climate change today and into the future. Think: Things like legislation that standardizes date labels, minimizing confusion around what food is safe to eat. Use our toolkit to learn more about how you can speak out and build support for longterm solutions to these issues.

Want to extend your support?

Go beyond wasting less food at home – support Spoonfuls’ food recovery work and help us reduce food waste across Massachusetts.

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