The United States wastes $218 billion per year growing, processing, transporting and disposing food that never gets eaten, according to ReFED. That represents almost 2 percent of our nation’s gross domestic product, yet one in six Americans is food insecure. On top of that, decomposing food waste represents 5 percent of our greenhouse gas emissions, a potent contributor to climate change.
New York State alone spends $36 million per year solely to transport and dispose of excess food. But there’s good news: a new law banning landfilling of food waste in New York State is estimated to provide a net economic benefit of nearly $22 million per year, along with recovery of 52 million new meals a year with a 10 percent increase in food donation to 2.8 million food insecure New Yorkers.
