According to some estimates up to one third of all the food produced in the world is wasted, while the greenhouse gas emissions associated with food waste rival those of the entire European Union.
The amount of food wasted in the US is thought to be even higher, with half of all food being discarded. This makes food waste the largest component of US landfill sites, at 21 percent.
The top three groups of wasted foods are:
- Meat, poultry and fish – 41 percent
- Vegetables – 17 percent
- Dairy products – 14 percent.
In 2015, the US set a national goal to reduce food waste by 50 percent by 2030. Achieving this goal will require action from the agriculture sector, government bodies, the hospitality sector, food suppliers and grocery retailers.
It is crucial that work towards this goal is measured and reported in a standardised way.
How We Can Help
Anthesis has extensive knowledge of conducting food waste audits and helping food businesses to measure and report on food waste. We also helped the World Resources Institute to develop the first global Food Loss and Waste Accounting and Reporting Standard, launched in 2016.
Anthesis provides practical help to those looking to establish the business case for food waste reduction by evaluating the true cost of waste, drawing up action plans to tackle waste, creating a legacy and driving long-term change. We can partner with you for every step of your food waste journey, providing you with the independent view required to analyse your product level data from the ground up.
Our Step-by-Step Guide for Addressing Food Waste
Our guide breaks down the process into six steps, from working out your basic annual tonnage and waste flows per site to disseminating the progress and best practice across your organisation.
