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.

This article is available to non-members for a limited time. You can also read these articles for free. For full access, become a member today.