Beyond the Book:
Waste Not, Want Not

Every day Americans waste enough food to fill the Rose Bowl football stadium.

Food waste makes up as much as 25% of what's in America's landfills.

Household recycling of items like aluminum, glass, and plastic increased 400% in the decade to 1999; meanwhile, only 2.5% of eligible food waste is composted.

The average family of four loses $2,200 per year in food waste.

17% of American children live in food insecure homes.

In 1982, the average bagel was 3 inches in diameter; by 2002, it had doubled to 6 inches.

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama were photographed leaving a Chicago restaurant after a Valentine's Day dinner, holding a doggie bag of leftovers.

Simply switching school schedules so that recess comes before lunch results in a 10-15% decrease in school lunch waste - all that exercise makes kids hungry!

Source: American Wasteland

This article was originally published in October 2010, and has been updated for the August 2011 paperback release. Click here to go to this issue.

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