This Thanksgiving, about $550 million worth of food will be wasted in the U.S., according to ReFED, a nonprofit dedicated to reducing food waste. That’s around 320 million pounds of food—enough for 267 million meals.
One big reason for this waste is the tradition of cooking way more food than necessary. A recent survey by NielsenIQ and ReFED found that over 90% of Thanksgiving hosts intentionally prepare extra food. Surprisingly, nearly half of those surveyed aren’t worried about the waste. About 12% don’t even have a plan for managing leftovers, which means they are likely to be thrown away.
The environmental impact is significant, too. The carbon emissions from wasted food on Thanksgiving tally up to around 811,726 metric tons of CO2. That’s like the emissions from 190,000 cars on the road for a year. Additionally, producing the food that will be wasted uses 39 billion gallons of water. To put that into perspective, that’s enough to fill over 59,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools.
Economic factors are also at play. The USDA reported that wholesale prices for frozen turkeys are 40% higher than last year, making the cost of wasted food even steeper.
Experts suggest several ways to reduce food waste during Thanksgiving. Encourage guests to take home leftovers, create new meals from what’s left, and consider freezing excess food. Supporting local food charities can also help alleviate this problem.
Understanding the scale of food waste can inspire us to think differently about our Thanksgiving traditions and make better choices. Together, we can work toward a more sustainable celebration. For more insights on combating food waste, check out ReFED’s website here.
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Thanksgiving, food waste, ReFED, food
