It happens at restaurants, in stores and even in our homes. Good food is wasted, while people throughout our cities go hungry. When we relocate from one home to another, we tend to throw out a lot of food. Luckily, it doesn’t have to be this way. Here’s an action plan to help you avoid wasting food when you move.
Food waste is an enormous problem.
Although the average American might not think much of throwing out aging produce or unwanted canned goods, food waste is a serious problem with real effects. According to the Move for Hunger statistics on food waste:
- Approximately 40 percent of the food grown, processed and transported in the United States is wasted.
- At the same time, 42 million Americans face food insecurity, meaning they do not have reliable access to the food they need to survive.
- If we reduced food waste by just 15 percent, we could feed 25 million Americans, according to the National Resource Defense Council.
People go hungry while food is wasted, but the average person can make a difference.
We waste food when we move.
Home food waste can happen anytime, but it is especially common when we move, when we might throw out large amounts of perfectly good food rather than transport it.
This waste adds up. Between 2013 and 2014, 11.5 percent of the population, or 35.7 million people, moved. That’s 35.7 million people who are likely wasting good food.
You can help.
If you are moving soon, you can do your part to reduce food waste.
For perishable items, such as meat, dairy and produce, a little planning can help reduce waste. In the days before your move, look through your refrigerator and freezer to see what you have. Try to use this food, and avoid buying new perishable items that will likely go to waste.
Non-perishable items, such as pasta, rice and canned goods, can be donated. This way, food is not wasted, and the people who need it the most receive it.
It’s easy with Move for Hunger.
Of course, when you move, you are very busy. You probably don’t have time to locate a food bank and drive there with your leftover food. That’s where Move for Hunger comes in.
Move for Hunger is a non-profit organization that partners with relocation companies to get food to the people who need it. Participating movers pick up unopened non-perishable food and deliver it to local food banks. All you have to do is set it aside – and that’s much easier than trying to make space in your already overflowing garbage bin.
Relocation Insurance Group is a proud partner of Move for Hunger.