Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared on LawnStarter.
Pulling wilted produce from the fridge to dump in the trash a week after an ambitious shopping trip adds up. With grocery prices up by nearly 30% since 2020, food waste poses an enormous cost for both your household and the environment.
“Nearly 40% of food waste happens in the home, so it’s important to be mindful,” says Adam Lowy, founder and executive director of Move For Hunger. “Use what’s in your fridge, embrace the ‘ugly’ produce, and get creative with leftovers.”
LawnStarter has ranked the states that waste the least food.
We compared the 50 states based on 37 total metrics. We considered each state’s most recent food waste data by sector from ReFED (a national food waste nonprofit) — specifically, residential, farm, foodservice, retail, and manufacturing.
We also considered rates of food waste recycling and mitigation efforts like food waste disposal bans, food sharing programs, and composting facilities. Want to see the full breakdown? Check out our methodology at the end.
Why does LawnStarter care about food waste? Your food scraps can easily turn into compost, an organic fertilizer to nourish your lawn and garden. Explore more food waste and composting insights in “Beyond the Bin: U.S. Composting Stats, Policies, and Roadblocks.”
15. Nebraska
- Overall Score: 56.40
- Least Commercial and Industrial Food Waste: 17
- Least Household Food Waste: 23
- Most Food Recycled: 4
- Most Food Waste Reduction Efforts: 44
14. Minnesota
- Overall Score: 56.40
- Least Commercial and Industrial Food Waste: 24
- Least Household Food Waste: 18
- Most Food Recycled: 7
- Most Food Waste Reduction Efforts: 20
13. New Mexico
- Overall Score: 56.96
- Least Commercial and Industrial Food Waste: 12
- Least Household Food Waste: 10
- Most Food Recycled: 43
- Most Food Waste Reduction Efforts: 27
12. Hawaii
- Overall Score: 57.19
- Least Commercial and Industrial Food Waste: 14
- Least Household Food Waste: 1
- Most Food Recycled: 47
- Most Food Waste Reduction Efforts: 30
11. Maine
- Overall Score: 57.85
- Least Commercial and Industrial Food Waste: 11
- Least Household Food Waste: 15
- Most Food Recycled: 25
- Most Food Waste Reduction Efforts: 36
10. Washington
- Overall Score: 59.96
- Least Commercial and Industrial Food Waste: 8
- Least Household Food Waste: 6
- Most Food Recycled: 23
- Most Food Waste Reduction Efforts: 31
9. New York
- Overall Score: 62.45
- Least Commercial and Industrial Food Waste: 10
- Least Household Food Waste: 29
- Most Food Recycled: 15
- Most Food Waste Reduction Efforts: 5
8. North Dakota
- Overall Score: 64.51
- Least Commercial and Industrial Food Waste: 9
- Least Household Food Waste: 28
- Most Food Recycled: 1
- Most Food Waste Reduction Efforts: 49
7. Oregon
- Overall Score: 65.97
- Least Commercial and Industrial Food Waste: 5
- Least Household Food Waste: 4
- Most Food Recycled: 13
- Most Food Waste Reduction Efforts: 33
6. New Jersey
- Overall Score: 67.44
- Least Commercial and Industrial Food Waste: 7
- Least Household Food Waste: 14
- Most Food Recycled: 8
- Most Food Waste Reduction Efforts: 4
5. Maryland
- Overall Score: 68.92
- Least Commercial and Industrial Food Waste: 4
- Least Household Food Waste: 9
- Most Food Recycled: 10
- Most Food Waste Reduction Efforts: 13
4. Vermont
- Overall Score: 71.28
- Least Commercial and Industrial Food Waste: 3
- Least Household Food Waste: 7
- Most Food Recycled: 18
- Most Food Waste Reduction Efforts: 8
3. Massachusetts
- Overall Score: 73.02
- Least Commercial and Industrial Food Waste: 6
- Least Household Food Waste: 5
- Most Food Recycled: 6
- Most Food Waste Reduction Efforts: 1
2. Rhode Island
- Overall Score: 75.25
- Least Commercial and Industrial Food Waste: 2
- Least Household Food Waste: 2
- Most Food Recycled: 12
- Most Food Waste Reduction Efforts: 6
1. Connecticut
- Overall Score: 78.25
- Least Commercial and Industrial Food Waste: 1
- Least Household Food Waste: 3
- Most Food Recycled: 9
- Most Food Waste Reduction Efforts: 2
Methodology
To rank the states that waste the least food, we compared all 50 states across 37 metrics.
Our metrics were organized into four main categories:
- Least Commercial and Industrial Food Waste (about 59%): We considered the total amount of food discarded, value of surplus food generated, percentage of food discarded, and year-over-year changes for manufacturing, foodservice, and retail sectors. For the farm sector, we considered the total amount of food discarded, the value of surplus food generated, and year-over-year changes.
- Least Household Food Waste (about 17%): We looked at the total amount of food discarded, percentage of food discarded, value of food discarded, and year-over-year changes for the residential sector.
- Most Food Recycled (about 13%): We examined the total amount of food and the percentage of food recycled through composting, anaerobic digestion, and animal feed, in addition to year-over-year changes.
- Most Food Waste Reduction Efforts (about 11%): We factored in the presence of food waste disposal bans, food sharing programs, access to composting facilities and anaerobic digestion facilities per 1,000 sq. mi., and the number of food waste solution providers.
Finally, we calculated scores (out of 100 points) for each state to determine its rank in each factor, each category, and overall. A state’s overall score is the average of its scores across all factors and categories.
