In the United States alone, it has been estimated that approximately 120 billion pounds of food are wasted. That’s equal to more than $400 billion in wasted food, or about 131 billion meals. That’s almost 40% of all food produced in the U.S. It’s not only a serious shame but also a travesty.

Not only is that food not going to feed the hungry and food insecure, but it’s also going right into landfills, which severely damages the environment. That’s why we encourage everyone to do their part to reverse the trend of food waste by observing Stop Food Waste Day on the last Wednesday in April. If we all work together, we can absolutely stop food waste, and this day is a great place to begin our journey.

The History of Stop Food Waste Day

This holiday was created by the Compass Group in 2017. This organization was, and still is, one of the largest food service companies in the world. They serve cafes, restaurants, schools, hospitals, and other institutions.

As part of their commitment to reducing their own food waste by 25% by the year 2020, they decided to create Stop Food Waste Day. Of course, it’s well past 2020, but the holiday is still observed by people looking to make a difference in the world and stop the needless waste of food.

Some Quick and Alarming Facts About Food Waste

We didn’t want to conclude this article without serving up some facts that we learned about food waste. We gathered the following facts during our research for this holiday, and we’re sure that they will serve all of our readers well.

• The average American throws out over 1,200 calories per person per day.
• More food enters landfills than almost any other type of municipal waste.
• Almost 50% of ALL fruits and vegetables are thrown into the trash.
• The average U.S. family loses approximately $2,000 a year in wasted food costs.

Observing Stop Food Waste Day

Anyone interested in stopping food waste can use this holiday as the day to begin their journey. They can start by buying only the amount of food they can use in any given week. They can also make sure that they freeze or use other storage methods to preserve food for longer periods.

And they should also learn the value of soup. Using veggies and meats that are going to go bad in a soup can not only preserve them but can also help transform them into something new. People can spread the word about this holiday using the hashtag #StopFoodWasteDay online.