In reality, people in Canada are wasting a larger amount of food than they consume – food that could have been eaten.
Although throwing out food happens in most households, some food waste is inevitable. Examples of these foods that can’t be consumed are vegetable peelings, bones, tea bags, coffee grounds, and eggshells.
Meanwhile, preventable food waste are foods that could be eaten but are being thrown in the bin instead. However, food goes to waste because we tend to cook a lot, buy too much, or incorrectly store it.
Research was conducted in 2022 by the National Zero waste Council on food waste at home, and here are the results:
- Nearly 2.3 million tonnes of food is wasted every year for the whole of Canada, which means that there is a 20 billion dollar cost of food in excess.
- The percentage of thrown away food that could have been consumed is 63%.
