Food retail, food service, and residential sectors acounted for 66 million tons of waste, while the manufacturing and processing sector accounted for 40 million tons of food waste.
Supplementary notes
*The source notes: "These figures exclude the small share of excess food (473,027 tons) that food banks cannot distribute and is therefore food waste that is routed to other management pathways."
Citation formats
Amount of wasted food by management method in the U.S. 2019, by waste origin
Of the approximately *** million tons of U.S. food waste, about ** million tons are generated by food retail, food services, and the residential sector. The largest amount from this food waste source is managed by dumping it in a landfill. This pathway accounted for close to ** million tons of food waste. Just over ** million tons are generated by the food manufacturing and processing industry. Less than * million tons of waste from these sectors is dumped on landfills.
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Environmental Protection Agency. (April 3, 2023). Quantity of wasted food by management pathway in the United States in 2019, by waste origin (in million tons) [Graph]. In ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. Retrieved July 29, 2026, from /statistics/1386241/volume-of-wasted-food-management/
Environmental Protection Agency. "Quantity of wasted food by management pathway in the United States in 2019, by waste origin (in million tons)." Chart. April 3, 2023. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. Accessed July 29, 2026. /statistics/1386241/volume-of-wasted-food-management/
Environmental Protection Agency. (2023). Quantity of wasted food by management pathway in the United States in 2019, by waste origin (in million tons). ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Inc.. Accessed: July 29, 2026. /statistics/1386241/volume-of-wasted-food-management/
Environmental Protection Agency. "Quantity of Wasted Food by Management Pathway in The United States in 2019, by Waste Origin (in Million Tons)." ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ, ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Inc., 3 Apr 2023, /statistics/1386241/volume-of-wasted-food-management/
Environmental Protection Agency, Quantity of wasted food by management pathway in the United States in 2019, by waste origin (in million tons) ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ, /statistics/1386241/volume-of-wasted-food-management/ (last visited July 29, 2026)
Quantity of wasted food by management pathway in the United States in 2019, by waste origin (in million tons) [Graph], Environmental Protection Agency, April 3, 2023. [Online]. Available: /statistics/1386241/volume-of-wasted-food-management/
