The Huffington Post reports the Green Restaurant Association has found tremendous food waste in the United States – enough to drop my jaw:
A single restaurant in the U.S. wastes about 100,000 pounds of food a year, according to the Green Restaurant Association, making them auspicious donors for hunger relief groups. But many restaurants are reluctant to give away their edible leftovers, citing fears of getting sued.
But they shouldn’t be so worried about backlash, experts say.
Because no such lawsuit has ever been waged.
Just a bit more of numbers…
Bon Appetit has 650 cafes nationwide and donated more than 286,000 pounds of food last year. Cummings said that’s a “low-ball” estimate though.
Restaurants are uniquely positioned to simultaneously tackle the country’s food waste and hunger issues.
In the U.S., up to 40 percent of food goes uneaten. Last year, one in six households didn’t have enough money for food.
Yet, even with the protections in place and the vast number of groups that pick up and deliver excess food, many restaurants will still rifle off a host of reasons that keep them from participating in the rescue effort.
The article goes on to explore the legalities of and obstacles to more efficient food use in the USA. I wonder if I should wander over to the fast food joint a block and a half away and ask if they know how much food they discard in a day …
