The study shows that although meat is the single largest energy user, it is the fruit and vegetables that make up the largest amount of waste, due to the sheer amount that is thrown out daily in retail and hospitality businesses as well as in the home.

In the study, the researchers wrote: “The energy embedded in wasted food represents a substantial target for decreasing energy consumption in the US. A decrease in food waste must be accompanied with a retooling of the food supply chain to ensure that the energy consumed during food production does in fact decrease with a decrease in food waste.”

The wastage and energy use figures for Australia would, no doubt, be similar to the ones found in this US study and identifies that with better stock and rotation control food businesses cannot only ensure food safety but reduce wastage and save money.

Source: Environmental Science and Technology

2010, 44 (16), pp. 6464–6469

“Wasted Food, Wasted Energy: The Embedded Energy in Food Waste in the United States”

Authors: Amanda D. Cuéllar, Michael E. Webber.