Wasted Food = Wasted Resources

The Amount of Wasted Food in Central Ohio is Equivalent to Wasting:

Bottle of water
41 billion gallons of water By wasting food, each Central Ohio resident wastes 30 gallons
of water a year.
Gas pump
22 million gallons of gas Over 22 million gallons of gas are used every year to transport food that Central Ohioans throw away - enough to fuel 44,000 vehicles for a year.
Corn stalk
160,000 acres of land Each person in Central Ohio requires an area of land larger than a basketball court to grow the food that they throw away each year.
Wallet with money
400 Million Dollars Every year, the average family of four wastes $2,000 on food that is purchased but never eaten.
Plate of food
187 million meals For every Franklin County resident, 145 potential meals are landfilled each year.
Trash bag
337 million pounds of food For every Franklin County resident, there are 260 pounds of food waste landfilled every year.
Did you know? The Central Ohio Food Waste Initiative’s Food Waste reduction hierarchy builds on the hierarchy created by US EPA.

Approach How Do We Reduce Food Waste?

Food waste reduction is about more than just composting food scraps. Reducing food waste includes preventing food waste from the start, rescuing food before it becomes waste to feed our community, and improving soil and animal health by composting food scraps or using it to feed livestock. By working toward food waste solutions that are higher on the hierarchy, we can conserve more money, environmental resources, and meals.

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The Quiz

Test Your Food Waste Knowledge

Think you know food waste? Test your knowledge with the Save More Than Food Quiz and learn how you can make a difference.

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Did you know? For every Franklin County resident, there are 260 pounds of food waste landfilled every year.

Central Ohio Food Waste Action Plan Food Waste in Central Ohio

The Central Ohio Food Waste Initiative, led by SWACO, works to understand the impacts of food waste on Central Ohio communities and take action to reclaim food waste to be a resource for our community. Learn more about the Central Ohio Food Waste Initiative and their 20-point action plan to cut the region’s food waste in half by 2030.

The InitiativeAction Plan
Food Waste across the United States and the Globe

Understanding Food Waste

Across the nation, researchers and non-governmental organizations are doing more to understand the problem of food waste and begin to take action. Read more about the food waste findings of leading organizations working to understand the problem and map out solutions

ReFED Led by influential businesses, nonprofits, foundations, and government institutions across the US, ReFED takes a data driven approach to reducing food waste. Check out their interactive data modules that allow you to compare the financial, environmental, and social benefits of different food waste solutions.
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Natural Resource Defense Council (NRDC) NRDC leads city and community level food waste efforts, providing standardized resources, promotional tools, city-level food waste data, and a collaborative platform for city-to-city partnership.
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World Wildlife Fund (WWF) An international conservation organization with work in over 100 countries, WWF is working on natural resource conservation across the globe. Their food waste work acknowledges the massive environmental impacts of food and works to shift consumer eating behavior toward more sustainable habits.
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United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Learn more about cross-cutting international food waste studies and initiatives led by FAO, including Sustainable Development Goals aimed at food loss and waste.
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US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Learn about the work of the EPA to conserve environmental resources by reducing food waste across the nation.
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US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Find federal guidance on reducing food waste as well as grant funding opportunities.
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US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Learn more about the FDA’s joint efforts with USDA and US EPA to reduce food waste through collaborative work.
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