The MITRE Food Waste Tracker app is a smart tool to measure household food waste.

When you throw food down the drain or into the bin, it’s not only the valuable nutrients of the food that gets wasted, but all of the land, water, energy, and resources that went into growing, preparing, and transporting the food. An estimated 40% of all edible food is lost or wasted in America, despite high levels of food insecurity throughout the country. And bits and pieces of waste add up, both in cost and in landfills. Annually, 119 billion pounds of food are wasted in the United States, worth over $408 billion.

While researchers know much food is lost or wasted in the food supply chain, data about household food waste is very limited. This app is part of a study that aims to quantify the amount of food which gets wasted across American households.

Data from this study will be a resource for researchers to identify patterns in waste behavior. Those patterns can be used to develop targeted interventions to reduce food waste amounts in the future.

The MITRE Food Waste Tracker app does not collect any personally identifying information. Your data will be identified in data files based solely on an anonymous study identification number. MITRE will at no time be in possession of personally identifying information.

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