SUSTAINABILITY

Tasty Traditions: American Food

American food comes from traditions all around the world!

Apple Pie – Sweet pastry with spiced apples and flaky crust.

BBQ – Slow-cooked meat with smoky, tangy sauces.

Farm-to-Table – Fresh ingredients grown locally and served the same day

America throws away more food than anywhere else in the world! About one-third of all food produced in the USA gets wasted—that's 133 billion pounds of food worth $161 billion every year. This wasted food creates greenhouse gas emissions equal to 42 coal-fired power plants!

When food rots in landfills, it produces methane gas, which is 28 times more harmful to the environment than carbon dioxide. Meanwhile, 26 million Americans don't have enough to eat!

The United States creates more plastic waste than any other country—35.7 million tons every year! That's like every American throwing away 218 pounds of plastic annually. Only 5% of this plastic actually gets recycled, while the rest ends up in landfills or polluting rivers and oceans.

85% of Americans think plastic pollution is a serious problem, but the systems to fix it aren't working. Plastic bags, bottles

Only half of Americans have access to good recycling programs, and many have to pay extra for it.

Microplastics from broken-down plastic waste end up in drinking water and food.

Companies use words like "eco-friendly" on packaging, but many products still create lots of plastic waste.

Americans consume more resources and create more carbon emissions per person than almost anywhere else on Earth! The average American creates about 16 tons of carbon dioxide per year—that's 4 times more than the global average.

This comes from big houses, driving everywhere, buying lots of stuff, and eating meat frequently.

Americans buy fast fashion clothes that get worn only a few times before being thrown out.

Many people replace phones, laptops, and electronics every few years, creating mountains of electronic waste.

Online shopping creates tons of cardboard boxes and plastic packaging that often gets thrown away after one use.

More Americans are shopping at thrift stores and buying second-hand items to reduce waste.

Companies like Patagonia are making products that last longer and offering to repair items instead of replacing them.

Some states are passing "Right to Repair" laws that make it easier to fix electronics instead of buying new ones.

America uses more energy than almost any other country, and most of it still comes from polluting fossil fuels like oil, gas, and coal. Buildings and transportation are the biggest energy wasters, and many Americans still drive gas-powered cars everywhere instead of walking, biking, or using public transport.

The country has amazing potential for clean energy from wind and solar power, but it's been slow to make the switch. Many American homes waste energy through poor insulation and old appliances.

Electric car sales are growing fast, and more charging stations are being built everywhere.

Cities are improving public transportation and creating bike lanes to reduce car dependence. But...Fossil fuel companies are fighting back against clean energy policies for decades.

New buildings are being designed to use much less energy, and programs help people upgrade their homes.