Food waste during the holidays can be a big problem. Luckily, there’s plenty we can do to reduce food waste at home.
Between holiday parties, family obligations and the pressure of finding that perfect gift — this time of year can certainly go by in a flash. Amid the bustle of the holiday season, planning a family gathering can already be hard enough. The last thing we need to worry about is all the holiday leftovers. But, unfortunately, food waste this time of year can be a big problem.
Discarded food contributes to household waste increases by more than 25 percent between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Locally, even as Hawai‘i residents pay some of the highest food prices in the country, more than half a billion pounds of food go to waste each year. This comes out to almost 1.5 million pounds of food waste per day across the islands — or more than 26 percent of the available food supply.
Food waste happens across every sector of the food system. But individuals are responsible for the most significant amount of food waste. Hawai‘i residents throw away approximately one quarter of all food and beverage purchases, which equates to a loss of about $700 per person per year. The accumulative food waste has a big impact on our community, our local economy and our environment.
More than 522 million pounds of food go to waste each year in Hawai‘i — or more than 26 percent of the available food supply.
Luckily, there’s plenty we can do to reduce food waste at home — especially during the holidays. Here are five tips that may help you focus even more on caring and celebration this season, and could even reduce the strain on our personal budgets and the environment.
