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How Much Food Will Go To Waste This Thanksgiving? $550 Million Worth

The amount of discarded food equals 267 million meals: ReFED

A new analysis estimates that 320 million pounds of food worth $550 million will be thrown away on Thanksgiving. That discarded food equals 267 million meals that could have gone to help feed our hungry neighbors. This is about the same amount of food ReFED estimated was wasted last Thanksgiving.

ReFED, a national nonprofit dedicated to ending loss and waste across the food ecosystem, and NielsenIQ, published their findings of a survey conducted in October.

A major reason for the waste is that more than 90 percent of Thanksgiving hosts intentionally prepare more food that is needed for their Thanksgiving gathering, according to ReFED. What is troubling is that nearly half of all hosts surveyed said they are not concerned about food waste around the holidays. Additionally, 12% of hosts, who feed 36 million people, according to the survey, do not plan to manage their leftovers in any specific way.

The breakdown of what is done with those leftovers covers a wide variety of options:

45% send guests home with food
46% make sandwiches or wraps
32% eat it for breakfast or brunch
31% make new meals like casseroles or soups

In New Jersey, officials estimate that 1.1 million residents are food insecure.

As New Jersey’s first and largest food rescue, Table to Table’s mission is to reduce food waste by rescuing nutritious food and deliver it to our food-insecure neighbors throughout northern New Jersey. We rescue millions of pounds of fresh food annually that would otherwise be wasted and end up in landfills. This contributes to climate change. We deliver it to partner organizations who support the nearly 1 million people in our area who need it most.

Together, we can reduce food waste in our home and make a positive impact on the planet. Every little bit of effort—no matter how small—leads to change. Join us. Become a food rescue hero by downloading the Table to Table I-Rescue app. Claim a rescue, pick the food up, and deliver it to a local nonprofit. Most rescues take less than 1 hour.