Feed It Onward
Turning Food Waste into Opportunity Across America
Feed It Onward is a new initiative of the Trump EPA that lends a national platform to spotlight the farmers, businesses, nonprofits, military partners, and communities making sure good food goes to people — not landfills.
Feed It Onward connects food donors with communities in need while reducing the environmental impact of food waste in landfills. We partner with private and public groups to highlight food waste and recovery efforts, connecting food providers with opportunities to reduce our nation’s food waste.
The Challenge
In the United States, more than one-third of all food goes uneaten and gets thrown away. This creates a huge impact on both our environment and American families’ wallets. Food waste has become the largest part of what goes into our landfills—more than any other type of trash. At the same time, millions of families across the country don’t have enough food to eat.
Key Statistics:
- $728 - Average annual food waste cost per person
- $2,913 - Average annual food waste cost for a family of four
- 11% - Percentage of household food spending that is wasted
- Over 133 billion pounds of food wasted annually
- Millions of families struggling with food insecurity
- $3,000 per family lost to food waste each year
Supporting Data
Data from EPA’ 2025 report, Estimating the Cost of Food Waste to American Consumers (pdf) , shows that individual consumers lose $728 annually to food waste—equivalent to $14 thrown away every single week. A family of four wastes nearly $3,000 worth of food each year, representing about 11 percent of their total spending on food.
Together, We Feed It Onward
Feed It Onward is a voluntary program that partners with farms, restaurants, grocery stores, food brands, and military bases donating food within their communities. As part of the America 250 celebration, Feed It Onward reflects the values that have always made the country strong — generosity, grit, and community.
Ways to Get Involved
Partners
- Share your story. If your farm, company, nonprofit, or military program is leading on food recovery, let us feature your success on the national stage.
Communities
- Support these efforts locally. Take inspiration from our partners and bring food recovery into schools, neighborhoods, and hometowns.
Families & Individuals
- Learn from these stories, talk about them, and spread the word. Leadership grows when people share what works.
Ready to Get Involved & Make an Impact?
Join the movement to turn food waste into food security across America.
To get in touch with our team regarding a partnership opportunity or engagement, please email the Feed it Onward team.
Feed It Onward is an initiative of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as part of America's 250th anniversary celebration.