"Wasted!" and the Case for Wasting Less Food

Wasted! The Story of Food Waste, a 2017 documentary executive produced by Anthony Bourdain, makes a compelling case for confronting how much food gets thrown away — and how much of that is genuinely preventable.

What the Film Covers

The documentary presents a sobering picture of food waste on a global scale: at the time of its release, it cited figures like 1.3 billion tons of food discarded worldwide each year, around 40% of food produced for human consumption in the U.S. going to waste, and more than 90% of that waste ending up in landfills — where it breaks down without oxygen and produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas. The film puts the global cost of food waste in the neighborhood of $1 trillion a year, and highlights the uncomfortable paradox of widespread food waste existing alongside persistent hunger.

These are the film's own figures as of its 2017 release — food waste statistics get revised periodically, so treat them as a snapshot of the scale of the problem rather than today's exact numbers.

Why This Still Matters

Whatever the current precise figures are, the underlying problem the film raises hasn't gone away: a meaningful share of the food produced never gets eaten, and a lot of that waste happens at the household level, which is the one part of the supply chain an individual family can actually do something about.

How Freeze-Drying Helps

Freeze-drying extra food, garden produce, and leftovers before they spoil is one of the most effective ways to keep food out of the trash at home. Properly packaged, freeze-dried food can last up to 25 years, which turns what would have been a use-it-or-lose-it window into something you can actually plan around.

More on Reducing Food Waste

Food waste in America has a broader look at the scale of the problem, and stopping food waste at home has practical storage tips you can start using today.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is "Wasted! The Story of Food Waste" about?
It's a 2017 documentary, executive produced by Anthony Bourdain, examining the scale of global food waste and its environmental and social consequences.

How much food does the documentary say gets wasted?
As of its 2017 release, the film cited figures including roughly 1.3 billion tons of food wasted worldwide annually and around 40% of U.S. food production going uneaten — figures reflecting that point in time.

Does freeze-drying actually help reduce household food waste?
Yes — freeze-drying extends the usable life of garden produce, leftovers, and bulk-cooked meals to up to 25 years when properly packaged, which significantly cuts down on food spoiling before it's eaten.