According to a 2002 report from the University of Arizona in conjunction with the USDA, Americans tossed out an average of 470 pounds of food per year—about 14 percent of all food brought into the home—at an annual cost of $600. Every day, they discarded more than half a pound of fruits and veggies. In total, Americans chuck a fourth of all the produce they buy, mostly because it’s gone bad, says Timothy Jones, PhD, contemporary archaeologist at the University of Arizona. Nationally, we dump $43 billion worth of food every year.

Read the full article on Vegetarian Times and learn great tips for keep produce fresh

Wow! What a waste! Imagine what an impact we could make on the environment and our pocketbooks if we purchased less produce. Yes, you may have to make more runs to the market but you will be surprised to see yourself using all of what you have on hand and not tossing unused and spoiled food! Our eyes are always bigger than our stomachs. I prefer to purchase only what I can possibly use in the next couple of days. My purchase always lasts me longer than expected and I throw very little away.