10/09/2026
Food waste is not just a trash problem; it’s a climate, resource and household problem.
The latest data available in 2026 shows that more than 1 billion tonnes of food are wasted each year globally, with households responsible for about 60% of consumer-level food waste.
In the U.S., ReFED estimates that around 23 million tons of surplus food went to landfill in 2024. EPA data also shows why the destination matters: food waste is responsible for roughly 58% of fugitive methane emissions from U.S. municipal solid-waste landfills.
The solution is not simply “compost everything.”
The better hierarchy is:
Prevent edible waste → keep usable food in circulation → compost unavoidable scraps → avoid landfill whenever possible.
Read the full 2026 data and solution guide:
https://gemebio.com/blogs/journal/food-waste-statistics-2026