Dive Brief:
- Waste & Resources Action Program (WRAP), a non-profit focused on waste reduction based in the UK, released a report detailing global figures surrounding food waste.
- Consumer food waste costs around the world are estimated at $400 billion per year, with one-third of the total amount of food going uneaten.
- The report suggested that a reduction of consumer food waste could save between $120 to $300 billion annually by 2030.
Dive Insight:
Researchers reasoned that as the middle class grows, so will the amount of waste worldwide, raising the cost of wasted food from $400 billion to an estimated $600 billion.
The organization said that around 25% of food waste in developing countries could be prevented with better refrigeration.
WRAP also suggested that adjusting a refrigerator’s temperature setting to a lower number as well as better designed packaging could help to prevent the high amounts of spoiled food.
