A family of four wastes nearly $3,000 worth of food every year. That figure, released in an April 2025 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency report, nearly doubles the previous federal estimate of $1,500; a number that had been cited for over a decade but was based on 2010 grocery prices.

A person adds vegetable scraps and peels to an outdoor compost bin surrounded by green foliage.
Americans throw away $3,000 in groceries a year, double what we thought, mostly produce that never made it to the plate. Photo credit: Depositphotos.

Originally published on fooddrinklife.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.

Recommended for you