Food for Thought: Every year Americans dispose of approximately 80 billion pounds of food waste and very little of that waste is recovered.

2012 Food Manufacturer and Retailer Food Donation & Food Waste Survey
Every year Americans dispose of approximately 80 billion pounds of food waste and very little of that waste is recovered. This means that for the 312.7 million people in the U.S., over 250 pounds of food per person is thrown out every year. Food sent to a landfill represents lost opportunities to improve management efficiencies, to reduce operating costs, to feed the hungry, to recover valuable resources, and to realize other benefits.
The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) and Food Marketing Institute (FMI) are partnering with the National Restaurant Association (NRA) and other stakeholders in order to address this important issue. The GMA/FMI Food Waste Opportunities and Challenges Initiative has two goals, which are to reduce the amount of food waste sent to landfills and increase the amount of unsaleable food donated to food banks. The purpose of this survey is to better understand how much food is being donated, how much food waste is being recycled or recovered, and how much is sent to landfills and other waste disposal facilities in the United States.