According to this article, America produces a whopping 12% of the planet’s municipal food waste while only having 5% of the world’s population. A big issue is that over 80% of the waste can actually be recycled. Plastic getting thrown away has caused big problems for the environment. The US only recycles at a rate of 32% which is extremely low, in part due to the lack of knowledge and national recycling standards. Each year, the US wastes about 120 billion pounds of food, 40% of the national food supply. This is about 325 pounds per person. Food waste impacts the environment too, contributing greatly to climate change. Some ideas to reduce food waste include policy reform, consumer education, redefining waste, and many others. Some states have already implemented policies that make restaurants donate unused safe food to companies that will repurpose it and turn it into something else. Public awareness could also help because many people may not understand the severity of it.

Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/monicasanders/2025/01/28/how-america-became-the-worlds-trash-leader/