According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in 2019, approximately 66 million tons of wasted food were generated in the food retail, food service, and residential sectors. Of this amount, only about 5% (3.3 million tons) was composted, while nearly 60% (39.6 million tons) was sent to landfills.
This indicates a significant opportunity to improve food waste composting efforts.Additionally, the EPA estimates that food waste constitutes about 24% of the material in municipal solid waste landfills, making it the largest single component. This is concerning because landfilled food waste generates methane, a potent greenhouse gas.
These statistics highlight the substantial gap between the current state of food waste composting and its potential, underscoring the need for enhanced collection and composting initiatives to divert more food waste from landfills.