Fast Facts

Food Waste

Generated:
• 22.1 million tons or 10% by weight.*
• 163.7 pounds of food waste per person.*

Composted:
• 600,000 tons for a 2.6% recovery rate.*
• Composting facilities greatest resource is grocery stores – the food processing trimmings are highly compostable.
• In 1997, more than 10% of food waste was reported recovered from Minnesota, New Jersey and Washington.
• In 1999, 95 off-site food waste composting facilities operated in the United States. Though many of the facilities are small in size, their annual output ranged from 5 tons to 100 tons.

Density:
• Landfilled food waste has a density of 2,000 pounds per cubic yard.
• Food scraps, and solid and liquid fats have a density of 412 pounds in a 55-gallon drum.

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