Up to 40% of the food in the United States is wasted. At the same time, 1 in 8 Americans struggle to put food on the table. An enormous amount of resources and energy go into growing, processing, transporting, and eventually disposing of all that wasted food. That includes climate-wrecking greenhouse gas emissions at every stage of the food system, plus water, fertilizer, packaging, labor, and more.

Whether at the local, state or federal level, there currently lacks sufficient legislation to curb food waste and help end human hunger. By discouraging food waste by grocery stores, the main buyer and seller of foods in the United states, more responsible food distribution practices can be achieved.