Enter your household size, weekly grocery spending, and food waste percentage to calculate your annual food waste cost and its environmental impact. See how much money you're throwing away each year, plus the equivalent CO₂ emissions and water wasted from uneaten food.
Annual Money Wasted on Food
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Weekly Food Waste Cost
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Food Wasted Per Year
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CO₂ Equivalent Emissions
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Water Wasted Per Year
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Equivalent Meals Wasted
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The average American household wastes approximately 30–40% of the food it purchases, which equates to roughly $1,500–$2,000 per year for a family of four. Globally, about one-third of all food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted annually.
Food waste is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. When food rots in landfills, it produces methane — a greenhouse gas roughly 25 times more potent than CO₂. It also represents a massive waste of water, land, labor, and energy used throughout the supply chain to grow and transport the food.
Composting diverts food from landfills, preventing the production of methane gas. Instead, organic matter breaks down aerobically and can return nutrients to soil. Composting can reduce the carbon footprint of food waste by up to 50% compared to sending it to a landfill.
Fresh fruits and vegetables account for the largest share of household food waste, followed by dairy products, bread and bakery items, and leftovers. These items tend to have shorter shelf lives and are often over-purchased. Meat and seafood, while wasted less frequently by volume, carry a higher environmental cost per pound when discarded.
The CO₂ equivalent accounts for the greenhouse gases emitted across the entire lifecycle of wasted food — from farming, irrigation, and transportation to refrigeration and disposal. Different food categories have different emission factors; for example, meat and dairy carry much higher CO₂e per pound than grains or vegetables.
Food production is one of the most water-intensive human activities. When food is wasted, all the water used to grow, process, and transport it is also wasted. The USDA estimates that food waste in the U.S. accounts for about 21% of all freshwater use — roughly 170 trillion gallons per year nationwide.
Start by planning meals before shopping and buying only what you need. Store perishables properly to extend their shelf life, and use the 'first in, first out' method in your fridge and pantry. Consider composting scraps, freezing surplus food before it spoils, and repurposing leftovers into new meals.
No — food waste occurs throughout the entire supply chain, including on farms, during transportation, in processing facilities, at restaurants, and in grocery stores. However, household-level waste accounts for roughly 39% of all food loss and waste in the U.S., making it the single largest source and the most actionable area for individuals.