Divert, Inc. Data Shows 30% Increase in Wasted Food During the Summer Months
2024年7月31日 - 10:30PM
ビジネスワイヤ(英語)
Extreme heat and changing consumer behaviors
are among the contributors to drastic surge in food waste during
the summertime
Divert, Inc., an impact technology company on a mission to
Protect the Value of Food™, released new data today demonstrating
the scale of the wasted food crisis during the summer months. The
company’s 2020-2023 data showed that wasted food measured nearly
30% higher in summertime than the winter months1.
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Divert's 2020-2023 data showed that
wasted food measured nearly 30% higher in summertime than the
winter months. (Graphic: Business Wire)
“While wasted food is truly a year-round crisis, our data
indicates that the summer months are the leading source of food
waste throughout the year. This increased volume stresses food
donation networks since there is more perishable food to move,
requiring backup infrastructure to be in place to accommodate these
swings in material to avoid landfilling,” said Ryan Begin, CEO and
co-founder of Divert. “Our findings demonstrate the importance of
data in having visibility into this problem, but we must take it
further to drive meaningful change. From here, we need real action
and solution implementation with stakeholders across the industry -
from consumers to retailers, food manufacturers to
restaurants.”
Divert reviewed its 2020-2023 wasted food data from retail, food
service, and industrial customers at certain operating facilities
across the U.S. The company looked at the total food waste material
collected each year, comparing the summer months of July, August,
and September with the winter months of January, February, and
March of the same calendar year. The average across the four-year
period showed a marked increase (30%) in food waste during the
summer.
Divert has identified several key factors among the contributors
to the summertime increase, as well as solutions to address
them:
- Extreme heat driven by climate change. The Earth
recently saw its warmest two days since at least 1940 and last year
was reported as the warmest year on record. As we experience more
extreme heat brought on by climate change, the margin of error for
mishandling food increases significantly. For example, a delivery
of strawberries left on a retailer’s loading dock or in a truck for
too long before being moved into a refrigerated area can cause it
to lose freshness more quickly. The hotter it is outside, the less
time retailers have to move food before it is no longer safe to
consume. As we navigate the new normal of extreme temperatures, it
is more critical than ever to look to solutions that can enable
increased visibility and provide actionable data throughout the
supply chain.
- Changing consumer behavior in the summer months. The
summer months are synonymous with fresh, high-quality produce
available at grocery stores and a surge in consumers dining out at
restaurants and bars. Grocers and restaurants are sourcing more
food to meet the demand but are challenged to determine real-time
and accurate forecasting and replenishment. To better adapt to
fluctuating consumer behaviors, technologies can be implemented
that uncover key data and insights to better inform food retailers
and restaurants.
- Peak season for perishable food products. Summer means
more highly perishable food products, such as berries and stone
fruit, are available. At the same time, stores are seeing increased
sales and consumption for backyard barbeques and other gatherings.
All of this leads to more volume through stores and, in turn,
increased waste. With overabundance or over-purchasing of food,
improvements can be made to food donation programs or, in the case
of grocery stores, marking down any soon-to-expire products for
consumers.
For more information on how to take action to address the wasted
food crisis - from the grocery shelf to the home - please visit
www.divertinc.com.
About Divert, Inc.
Divert, Inc. is an impact technology company on a mission to
Protect the Value of Food™. Founded in 2007, the company creates
advanced technologies and sustainable infrastructure to eliminate
wasted food, driving social and environmental impact. Divert
provides an end-to-end solution that prevents waste by maximizing
the freshness of food, recovers edible food to serve communities in
need, and converts wasted food into renewable energy. The company
works with over 6,600 customer locations across the U.S. to reduce
wasted food and positively impact people and the environment. Its
customer base spans across industries and includes five Fortune 100
companies. For more information on Divert, Inc., please visit
www.divertinc.com.
1 Percentage calculated from total food waste material received
at certain Divert U.S. operating facilities, comparing the total
food waste material received in July, August, and September with
January, February, and March of the same calendar year. The
percentage represents the average difference across 2020-2023.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240731208196/en/
Divert Media Contact Caroline Legg Director of Public
Relations (203) 313-4228 clegg@divertinc.com