First, we’ll hit you with some sobering statistics about food waste in the United States. 

Every year, Americans throw out more food than any other country in the world – 30 to 40 percent of the entire food supply. Food that was grown, harvested, prepared, packaged, transported and bought, only to be tossed out, uneaten, and sent to the landfill. The average American household of four wastes $30 in food every week, throwing out approximately $120 of food each month. The reasons? Buying or ordering too much food in the first place. Not knowing whether it’s still good to eat, or how to store foods to make them last long. And many still haven’t figured out composting.

We’ve rounded up local resources to help cut back on food waste through shopping for food and storing it wisely; composting and recycling.