The amount of uneaten food produced in the US is climbing, generating significant waste and greenhouse gas emissions, according to new data<\/a> from ReFED, a national\u00a0nonprofit.\u00a0The US produced 91 million tons of surplus food in 2021, a 4.8% increase over 2016. Uneaten food\u00a0represented\u00a0about 38% of the total food supply in 2021, valued at roughly $444 billion,\u00a0according to the organization. On a per-person basis, this equates to about 548 pounds of extra food, a 1.9% increase since 2016.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In 2021,\u00a0the latest year for which ReFED\u2019s food waste data is available, 33.8 million people lived in food-insecure households in the US, according to the US Department of Agriculture<\/a>,\u00a0including 5 million children. Still, less than\u00a02% of the excess food\u00a0was donated,\u00a0ReFED reported. \u00a0While 18%\u00a0was\u00a0composted\u00a0and nearly 9% recycled\u00a0into animal feed, about 36% of the surplus food went to landfills.\u00a0<\/p>\n