Exploring the Environmental Impact of Wasted Food on Our Planet.
By Rose Morrison, managing editor of Renovated.
Food goes from farm to table — and then to landfill. That’s not how the saying goes, but it is what usually happens. Food waste is a massive, unchecked problem in most countries. On top of taking food away from people who need it and hurting local economies, it contributes to climate change. What can be done about it? Is there any way to address this problem at scale?
The Shocking Scope of the World’s Food Waste
Food waste — foodstuff intended for human consumption that goes uneaten — is happening on a massive scale. The scope of this problem is concerning. A joint report from the World Wildlife Fund and Tesco found that around 40% of all food grown worldwide is never consumed, a significant increase from the previous estimate of 33%. Where does it all go?
It usually ends up at dump sites or mass burn facilities. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, it is the country’s single most common municipal solid waste. It accounts for 24% of the materials landfilled and 22% of those incinerated. Some states have banned landfilling residential food scraps, but no standardized solution exists.
Today, few areas have a residential or commercial food waste reduction strategy in place.
Which countries are the worst offenders? As the statistics on landfilling and incineration suggest, the U.S. is among the worst. Wealthy regions with large populations typically have a higher food waste per capita than developing countries.
Other heavily populated nations also contribute considerably. As of 2020, households in China produce 91.65 million metric tons of food waste annually. Those in India and Nigeria followed closely behind at 68.76 million metric tons and 37.94 million metric tons, respectively.
Where Is All of This Food Waste Coming From?
Food waste comes from many places. In most countries, the top offenders are grocery stores, restaurants, households, farmers and supply chains.
1. Grocery Retailers
Whether shoppers overlook ugly produce or managers mistakenly order too much stock, foodstuffs often go bad in grocery stores. Expired products can’t remain on the shelves. While many retailers donate nearly expired items to charities or local food banks, there are often strict rules on what they can give. Most end up landfilled.
2. Restaurants
In an interview on reducing waste, Brandon Collins, the Corporate Executive Chef for North America at Unilever Food Solutions, said, “From an operational standpoint, some causes of food waste include over-ordering.” He also said “the supply chain causes food waste” because professionals cannot get trucks “to the location where the food may be needed” in time.
3. Households
In the average person’s kitchen, vegetable skins, coffee grounds and stale bread get thrown out while dinner is made. Also, it’s not uncommon for people to toss leftovers after spending too many nights in the fridge.
4. Farmers
Sometimes, farmers destroy produce or dairy to keep the price of their goods from plummeting. Jerry Huigen, a dairy farmer in Ontario, shared a video showing his dairy operation spilling milk. He said he “dumped 30,000 liters of milk,” which broke his heart. In Canada, farmers aren’t allowed to sell or distribute more than their quota allows.
5. Supply Chains
The cold chain is a supply chain that exclusively uses refrigerated trucks to transport perishable goods. Meat, cheese, eggs and dairy must be kept cold while traveling. When shipments are delayed or a critical component breaks down, the products go bad and must be discarded.
How Does Food Waste Worsen Climate Change?
Growing, harvesting and transporting farm yields just to throw them out wastes tremendous amounts of water, fuel and energy. It also produces a substantial amount of greenhouse gases.
Dairy farmers spilling their products after exceeding their quota is an excellent example of this. A 2025 study estimated that Canadian dairy farms have discarded 1.79 billion gallons of raw milk since 2012 — the equivalent of 9.25 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually. This practice happens in many agriculture sectors.
However, even if farm yields aren’t intentionally destroyed, the adverse environmental impacts are significant. Livestock emits methane, and gas-powered harvesting equipment produces greenhouse gases.
That’s not all. When table scraps reach the landfill, they decompose, doing even more damage to the climate. When they naturally degrade, they release a potent greenhouse gas called methane, which traps roughly 120 times as much heat as carbon dioxide.
Landfills and dump sites are among the top climate change contributors.
Packaged foodstuffs are the worst. Packaging accounts for 36% of the world’s plastic, 85% of which ends up in landfills. Sometimes, it stops table scraps from degrading naturally. To make matters worse, 98% of single-use plastics come from fossil fuels.
At every stage in the supply chain, this waste produces greenhouse gases and wastes crucial resources.
In total, food waste and loss are responsible for an estimated 4.4 gigatons of greenhouse gas emissions annually. The silver lining is that this problem is caused by humans — meaning it is entirely preventable. If the people in charge want to eliminate this problem, they must act.
Decision-Makers Have the Power to Enact Change
Policymakers and industry professionals can make a positive impact if they adopt strategies to reduce food waste.
1. Make Growing Practices Sustainable
Sometimes, pests, disease and storms can damage fields or kill livestock. Farmers try to save what they can, but some loss is inevitable. The smart thing to do is to ensure these losses have a minimal environmental impact. The right equipment can drastically improve harvesting productivity, helping farmers get more done with less resource waste.
2. Ban the Destruction of Unsold Food
Regulatory agencies should ban grocery stores from discarding or destroying unsold foodstuffs. Instead, anything about to expire should be donated to charities or food banks. On top of combating climate change, this approach helps those in need.
3. Invest in Cold Chain Monitoring
Refrigerated trucks must maintain a low temperature at all times to prevent spoilage. Cold chain monitoring technology can help drivers and fleet managers avoid breakdowns and delays, ensuring deliveries arrive intact at their destination.
4. Rehabilitate Landfills and Dump Sites
There are thousands of dump sites full of rotting table scraps. In the U.S., there are roughly 10,000 inactive and 3,000 active landfills. A lack of monitoring allows pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions to go unchecked, contributing to climate change and environmental instability.
Rehabilitation is essential. A well-managed, sanitary dump with gas capture systems and emissions monitoring technology is a sustainable long-term solution.
5. Revisit Food Quota Regulations
Many governments — like the U.S. and Canada — buy surplus agriculture products or order excess to be destroyed to stabilize the market. Quotas are essential for supporting the industry but create an unreasonable amount of waste. Policymakers should revisit their regulations to find a solution.
What You Can Do to Reduce Food Waste at Home
To the average person, making a dent in the 4.4 gigatons of greenhouse gases food waste produces may seem impossible. However, although commercial and industrial operations are responsible for most of these emissions, individual action is beneficial.
1. Compost Table Scraps
Carrot peels, thyme stems, celery leaves and mushroom stems are the type of things most people throw away while cooking dinner. They don’t have to be bound for the landfill. Instead, they can be composted to create nutrient-rich soil.
2. Store Perishables Properly
Properly storing foodstuffs can maximize their shelf life. For example, storing flour in the fridge instead of the pantry can extend its shelf life from six months to one year. Temperature and relative humidity are the biggest factors. However, nearness is often overlooked. Some fresh produce emits a gas that accelerates the ripening or rotting of nearby produce.
3. Repurpose Leftovers
Many leftovers nearing the end of their shelf life can be pickled, preserved or dehydrated. The scraps can be turned into vegetable stock. For example, stale bread can turn into stuffing, croutons, bread crumbs or French toast. Dinners that are easy to repurpose are best.
That said, safety is more important than preventing waste. Some foodstuffs shouldn’t be remade into new dinners after spending a few days in the fridge. For instance, rice is only good for three to four days after being cooked because it is prone to the Bacillus cereus bacterium.
4. Buy Local or Grow Your Own
Local farmer’s markets, co-ops, farm stands, family farms and community-supported agriculture offer local produce, meat and dairy. A home garden or greenhouse is an excellent choice for those who want more variety. Many renter-friendly versions are available.
5. Use Efficient Kitchen Appliances
Some table scraps cannot be repurposed. In these cases, having more efficient kitchen appliances can minimize the environmental impact of waste. For instance, convection ovens cook 25% faster while using 30% less energy than standard ovens. Using fewer resources to store, prepare and cook foodstuffs helps people be more sustainable.
Mitigating Climate Change by Preventing Food Waste
A huge percentage of foodstuffs are thrown out before they reach restaurants, grocery store shelves or consumers. While throwing banana peels and leftover meatloaf into the trash seems harmless, it adds up. Everyone, from policymakers to individuals, should do their part to reduce waste and save the planet.
About the Author
Rose is the managing editor of Renovated and has been writing in the construction, landscaping and sustainable building sectors for over six years. She’s most passionate about improving environments, reducing carbon footprints and incorporating resourceful methods to promote well-being in the planet. For more from Rose, you can follow her on Twitter and connect on LinkedIn.