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.

SCDES's Quick Guides to Download

General Information

• Don't Waste Food SC Ambassador Application 
• Quick Stats About Food Waste

Prevention

The holiday season is upon us and many of us are spending time with friends and family at holiday parties enjoying tasty dishes that we only indulge in once a year. It's all too easy to waste food around this time of year when our eating routines are all over the place. While it's not the waist issue you might think about, it can definitely be a waste problem.

Approximately 45 percent of all fruits and vegetables, 35 percent of fish and seafood, 30 percent of cereals, and 20 percent of meat and dairy products are wasted by suppliers, retailers, and consumers every year.

Don’t Waste Food SC is a collaborative outreach campaign that brings together ambassadors from the public and private sectors dedicated to sharing knowledge, coordinating resources and working together to reduce food waste in South Carolina.