Do You Live In The State That Produces The Most Food Waste?

Just like every state is known for producing a certain kind of food or produce, every U.S. state is famous for consuming a lot of one particular food. From the state that consumes the most Spam to the state that drinks the most alcohol, consumption habits in each state are wholly unique and fascinating to follow. It gives a glimpse into the lives of people in various states, as well as some insight into what makes the food scene in every state unique.

By extension, the statistics of food waste in America are equally interesting. All states produce some amount of food waste, or edible food that is discarded and not consumed, regardless of what they prefer to eat or drink, but the state that produces the most food waste in America by far is Arizona. Previous studies have indicated that Arizona throws away the equivalent of $9.5 billion in food waste every year.

Not only does Arizona produce the most food waste, but it also has a low rate of recycled and donated food, which doesn't help. The reasons why Arizona produces so much food waste isn't precisely known, but it can likely be attributed to a lack of state policies for reducing food waste and misunderstanding of expiration labels. Lack of knowledge of tips to help reduce food waste could also be a factor.

For several years, Arizona has taken the top spot for producing the most food waste in America. While Arizona has begun making attempts to mitigate food waste, currently it is still not enough to offset the high amount of food wasted in direct contrast to the low amount of food recycled or donated.

Other states that rank significantly high when it comes to food waste include North Dakota, Hawaii, Nevada, and Oklahoma. North Dakota in particular tends to consistently place high when it comes to food waste and is similar to Arizona in that it has high food waste in direct contrast to low recycled or donated food. Other states have high food waste for different reasons, like higher cost of living in Hawaii and excess due to places like buffets in Nevada, primarily in Las Vegas.

On the other hand, the states with the least amount of food waste include Massachusetts, Oregon, Washington, Connecticut, and Louisiana. Massachusetts has the direct opposite habits of Arizona; the state's generally lower food waste combined with higher share of recycled and donated food, as well as high amount of compost facilities, results in Massachusetts producing significantly less food waste. Other states, like Washington, have low food waste due to direct commitments to reducing landfill-disposed organic material in large amounts or tax credit initiatives for donating food, like in Oregon.