A study conducted by One Poll on behalf of Avocado Green Mattress revealed that Americans waste about $1500 of groceries every year. The survey of 2000 Americans shows that people throw away groceries that amount to 18% of the money they spend on each grocery shopping trip. Only 10% of the respondents said they use up all the groceries they buy, and 27% said they frequently throw out food.
About 50% of the respondents prefer to go shopping alone. In this case, 54% manage to stick to their shopping list, and 36% usually only buy the food they need. Whenever they purchase an item that is not on their list, about 38% of the respondents will end up throwing it away. About 6 in 10 participants never go shopping when they are hungry to avoid adding items they don’t need to the list.
Americans throw out perishable foods first
The researchers found that the participants usually waste the same kinds of food (46%). Others specifically waste healthy foods (46%). Food that is likely to spoil before being eaten is dairy products (39%), vegetables (45%), and fruits (53%).
According to Mark Abrials, the CMO and co-founder of Avocado Green Mattress, people should only stick to products on their shopping list and eat perishable products first to reduce wastage.
Even though they wasted fold, about 65% of the study participants cared about the environment, and conservation was necessary. Another 23% said they were apprehensive about wasting food, and 32% were less concerned.
Wasting food is harmful to the environment
Respondents claimed to feel guilty about wasting food. Some of them (76%) felt guilty as they thought it was a waste of money. Another 48% felt guilty because it harmed the environment.
Abrials adds that it is essential for shoppers to be conscious about their choices as they could impact the environment. In addition, buying food they don’t need is a waste of money. This idea also applies to other items.
Food wastage represents the waste of resources used in its production, such as land, energy, and water. It also leads to an increase in the emission of carbon dioxide.
