In 2024, the S.C. Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) was awarded a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to conduct a waste characterization study analyzing the type and amount of solid waste disposed of, and potentially recycled, in the state.
Schools generate waste. Lots of it. In fact, DHEC conducted a study to determine the amount and composition of waste that schools generate. The report showed:
In the US, the restaurant industry generates about 11.4 million tons of food waste annually at a cost of roughly $25 billion every year. One study shows that restaurants could realize an additional $620 million in profit potential per year by adopting prevention solutions. For every $1 invested in food waste reduction efforts, restaurants can realize about $8 of cost savings.
Prevention
During the holiday season, many of us attend holiday parties with friends and family. Part of this is enjoying tasty dishes that we only indulge in once a year. It's all too easy to waste food when our eating routines are all over the place. While it's not the first waist-related issue that comes to mind, the waste problem can be significant!
Don’t Waste Food SC is a collaborative outreach campaign that brings together ambassadors from the public and private sectors to share knowledge, coordinate resources, and work together to reduce wasted food in South Carolina.
Why food waste? Food is the No.1 item Americans throw away. Each year up to 40 percent of the nation’s food supply is never consumed – an annual loss of $218 billion. Wasted food also wastes resources. Any labor, energy, water, land, and other resources used to produce, package, and move food from the farm to our plates are lost.
