Check-In On The Food Waste Problem
Imagine growing your own food—lettuce, tomatoes, and squash—in your garden and watering, tending, and feeding it nutrients, only to throw out almost half of it.1 That's not unlike the food waste problem in America. The average American wastes a quarter of the groceries they purchase.2 But waste doesn’t only occur at the level of the consumer. Supermarkets, to meet perceived consumer expectations of full shelves and a large product variety, intentionally overstock produce and end up discarding up to 30 percent of perfectly edible food because it looks less attractive or has slower sales.3 Schools have rampant food waste as well. Approximately 40 pounds of food per student are wasted each year across all states. In total, each year, more than 165 billion dollars worth of fresh food is thrown out in America.4 According to the US Department of Agriculture, 13.7 percent of American households experience food insecurity.5 Wasted food not only could be redirected towards the people who need it, but also could be directed to address its severe environmental consequences.
Food waste contributes a third of all greenhouse gas emissions globally and contributes to 70% of biodiversity loss through reducing natural habitats and replacing them with farmland.6 As food waste decomposes in landfills, it produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas. In Los Altos, around 4,000 tons of food go to waste each year, coming from a variety of sources, like single-family homes and restaurants.7 This corresponds to emissions of roughly 2,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MTCO₂e) per year—the same greenhouse gas emissions produced by nearly 500 cars driven for one year or 300 homes’ annual energy use. If 75 percent of this food waste could be prevented, as stated in the goals of Senate Bill (SB) 1383, so much of the harm of food-related greenhouse gas emissions could be avoided.
SB 1383 is a California law requiring certain businesses to: (1) donate 20 percent of edible surplus food to food banks and; (2) reduce by 75 percent the amount of organic waste sent to landfills. The law was passed in 2016 and became enforced statewide in 2022. The law targeted Tier 1 businesses first, which include supermarkets with a $2+ million revenue, grocery stores with 10,000+ square feet, and wholesale vendors. In 2024, the law expanded to Tier 2 businesses, identified as restaurants and cafeterias with 250+ seats, hotels and health facilities, and large venues and events. To alleviate the impacts of the donation requirement on businesses, in January 2026, SB 881 was proposed, extending existing tax credits to farmers and organizations who met the 1383 requirements.
While laws like SB 1383 target larger scale business, many local businesses and schools in Los Altos and Mountain View are nonetheless working to reduce food waste. At the Downtown Los Altos seasonal Farmer’s Market, many of the local produce stalls use their excess stock, donating to organizations like the Community Services Agency, feeding it to livestock, or using it for their other markets. Local businesses also take advantage of their surplus food, utilizing apps such as “Too Good to Go” or “Imperfect Foods”, which encourage customers to buy out their stock. Los Altos High School and local elementary schools, working with local waste hauling companies, make compost bins available to students. Compostable waste is then transferred to various composting facilities where it decomposes and is typically used as a soil amendment for farms and vineyards.
Food waste is a significant challenge because its impacts extend beyond the food in the trash. Producing and distributing the food requires resources such as land and energy, which all end up wasted when food is uneaten. Meanwhile, millions of Americans experience food insecurity, while edible food accumulates in landfills and ends up contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. While policies like SB 1383 and local food recovery programs are working to address the problem, individuals can also make choices to help reduce food waste. Planning out your meals before grocery shopping, freezing food before it spoils, utilizing leftovers in creative ways can all reduce the amount of food sent to landfills.
For more information on how food waste affects our society, stay tuned for an upcoming presentation by GreenTown summer interns.
___________________________
1 USDA. Food Waste FAQs. Retrieved in July 2026 from https://www.usda.gov/about-food/food-safety/food-loss-and-waste/food-waste-faqs.
2 Mooney, C. The staggering environmental footprint of all the food that we just throw in the trash. Retrieved in August 2026 from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2018/04/18/americans-waste-about-a-quarter-of-the-food-they-buy-and-the-environmental-consequences-are-staggering/.
3 FreshDirect. Overcoming Grocery Store Food Waste: Solutions for a Sustainable Future. Retrieved in August 2026 from https://www.freshdirect.com/blog/overcoming-grocery-store-food-waste/.
4 CNBC. America's $165 billion food-waste problem. Retrieved in August 2026 from https://www.cnbc.com/2015/04/22/americas-165-billion-food-waste-problem.html.
5 USDA. Food Security in the U.S. - Key Statistics & Graphics. Retrieved in August 2026 from https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/food-security-in-the-us/key-statistics-graphics.
6 WWF. Food loss and waste. Retrieved in August 2026 from https://www.worldwildlife.org/our-work/food/food-waste/.
7 CalRecycle. Solid Waste Characterization Home. Retrieved in August 2026 from https://www2.calrecycle.ca.gov/WasteCharacterization/.
Comments