Food waste reduction important to U.S. shoppers, Flashfood survey finds

Three-quarters of Americans believe that reducing food waste is a key component to fighting climate change and nearly nine out of 10 (88%) say managing food waste is important to them, according to a survey by food waste-reduction tech company Flashfood.  

The data comes from the Toronto-based company’s first-annual “Impact Report: The State of Food Waste,” a Harris Poll survey of more than 2,000 U.S. citizens conducted in late April.   

The survey results also show that more than two-thirds of respondents believe the rising cost of food is making healthy eating more difficult and 77% are concerned about the environmental impact of food waste. The Flashfood report was released at the ReFED 2023 Food Waste Solutions Summit in St. Louis. 

The report also notes that food waste was the No. 1 component in U.S. landfills in 2021 and accounts for roughly 30-40% of all food produced in the U.S. That statistic is roughly 60% in Canada. It also accounts for about $26 billion in lost economic value in the U.S. and Canada combined, according to the report.  

"That's why we're setting our sights on massive expansion this year: to be available in more places and at more stores with the goal of saving our consumers money on groceries and rescuing millions more pounds of food from landfills," said Josh Domingues, founder and CEO of Flashfood, in a statement. 

Dana Gunders, executive director of U.S.-based food waste nonprofit ReFED, said in the report that retailers play an important role “because they sit at the center of the food system and have so much opportunity to influence the supply chain upstream and downstream.”  

“By implementing waste reduction solutions in their operations, retailers can not only benefit their bottom lines, but they can show their customers and partners what's possible,” he said. 

The report noted that Flashfood, which offers food nearing its sell-by date at a discount, diverted more 28 million pounds of food from landfills to nearly 3 million shoppers in 2022. 

The company, which was founded in 2016, grabbed the industry’s attention in February when it appointed former president of the Giant Company, Nicholas Bertram, to serve as president and CEO. 

About a month later, Bertram hired two industry executives, former Meijer executive Sepideh Burkett and former Impossible Foods executive Jordan Schenck to serve as head of partner development and chief brand officer, respectively. 

The big hires follow Flashfoods’ growth strategy, which entails further expansion from Canada to the U.S. market. Flashfood is currently operating in select locations at The Giant Company, Meijer, Tops Friendly Markets, Loblaws, Martin’s Markets, VG’s, Family Fare, Giant Eagle, Giant Food, Ren’s Pets, Save A Lot and Stop & Shop.