Dive Brief:
- In five years, the Danes have cut their food waste by 25%, according to the Danish government. That cones out to about 104 pounds per person annually.
- In comparison, the average American tosses anywhere from 273 pounds per person to, according to the USDA, 429 pounds each year.
- One of the biggest targets of food waste the Danes identified was "expired food.'' Food once thought to be past it's shelf life date is now being sold at discount prices instead of getting immediately tossed.
Dive Insight:
The efforts to curb waste began with a campaign to reach out to people. The nonprofit consumer group Stop Wasting Food and its founder are largely credited with the decrease in food waste made by the Danish. What started as a way to educate people is now a trend among retailers, producers, and manufacturers.
The expiration date battle for non-perishables is going to be a big fight in the states. Consumers have slowly made progress with eating fruits and vegetables that are not pin-up worthy, yet the Danes actually glorify expired food at markets and with celebrity chefs like Claus Holm.
Awareness of the problem is growing here, and many are making strides to eliminate food waste — however, one-third of food in the U.S. is still wasted. With all that waste, landfills are doing well carrying a heavier burden than necessary.
