Food waste is a major problem across the world especially in consumer economies like the United States. There are several implications with food waste, having any form of waste in general is bad for the environment, but socially food waste is controversial. About 42 million Americans face food insecurity in the United States after the COVID-19 pandemic, yet 72 billion pounds of food is wasted each year across the nation.
At grocery stores specifically, about 10% of food is thrown away before going bad. Why does premature food waste happen? As a company, grocery stores want to market their products to the best of their ability. Therefore, food that does not meet the standards of these stores will be thrown away before reaching store shelves. Food can be tossed when produce is too big, too small, or oddly shaped, when a store has a surplus of products, when the “expiration date” hits (which is often not a true expiration marker), when packaging is out of date, or when products have been discontinued. A mismatched store is not a good marketing practice, but this does not mean that the food is no good.
Luckily, there have been entrepreneurs that have seen this issue and created solutions for consumers and grocery stores. Rather than pitching food that goes to the dump, companies have been created that buy the waste products and sell them to consumers that don’t mind the imperfections. The following highlights three “ugly food” grocers in the U.S. that you can shop from to help reduce the food waste problem.
Imperfect Foods - Imperfect Foods is a subscription based service that allows you to customize your orders and receive regular delivery dates for produce. The service is free to sign up for, and you only pay for what you order. Orders can be changed at any time, delivery dates are sent to the shopper so you know when to expect your order. Imperfect Foods is available in parts or all of the following areas: Arkansas, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin
Hungry Harvest - Hungry Harvest allows you to choose products that you want delivered to your door, starting at $15 per box, its available in the following areas: Maryland, Washington, DC, Virginia, Greater Philadelphia, Southern New Jersey, Northern Delaware, South Florida, The Triangle Area & Charlotte in North Carolina & the Detroit Metro Area.
Misfit Market - At Misfit Market you choose what you buy from their selection of produce and fill a box of varying sizes that they offer. Misfit Market provides goods that allow you to save up to 40% of what you would pay at a grocery store. Once you’ve placed your order food will be delivered to your doorstep. They provide service to the following areas: Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, D.C., West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
For more information about food waste and insecurities visit: https://www.feedingamerica.org/
For facts about grocery store food waste, visit: https://www.questrmg.com/2019/08/08/food-waste-statistics-the-reality-of-food-waste/
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