It is an understatement to say that food waste is a problem in the United States.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency every year more than 34 million tons of food waste was generated, making food waste the single largest component of solid waste reaching landfills. What's more, on a daily basis Americans waste enough food to fill the Rose Bowl which is the size of a football Stadium in the state of California.
On an average, an American family waste about $500 dollars worth of food a year and that discarded food translates into increased pollution. Though restaurants are among the worst offenders, throwing away vast amounts of food as waste from preparation and tossing out plates full of uneaten food from customers, the result of the American obsession with huge portion sizes that are simply too large for most people to eat.
Even with staggering statistics in America year after year it appears the number of food waste is growing even while millions of Americans are homeless and spending days without food.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, one in six Americans will go to bed hungry every night and more than 50 million Americans live in what's referred to as “food insecure” households. A government report showed 15 percent of Americans have trouble putting food on the table, a record high. Something many Americans say needs to change.
Although President Obama called the figures unsettling, lawmakers have yet to come up with a solution to end hunger and food waste.
