Only 11% of Americans would give themselves an A+ for their sustainability efforts, according to new research.
The survey of 2,000 adults looked at their sustainability habits, especially when it comes to the kitchen, and found that nearly one in four would give it a grade of C or lower (23%).
Although 77% claim to strive to be waste-free, the average respondent throws away 12 items on any given day.
This adds up, as the average American throws away nearly three bags of trash a week — for a total of more than 150 bags of trash in a year.
Despite being the most likely to give themselves an A+ (15%), millennials average the most waste in a day, throwing about 15 away.
Conducted by Talker Research for The Chinet Brand, the survey found that the room in the home with the most waste is the kitchen (80%) – four times more than the second most chosen room, the bathroom (20%).
On average, respondents cook seven times a week, with 48% aiming to make food that won’t go to waste and another 37% wanting to make sure the food they make is free of waste when cooking.
Forty-one percent said food waste is “always” or “often” on their mind when cooking, with millennials claiming to think about it the most (44%).
Although the majority of those surveyed said that using up food before it goes bad (82%), Americans estimate that about a fifth of the food they make ends up going to waste (18%).
To reduce food waste, respondents have frozen leftovers (55%) or ingredients (54%) and repurpose leftovers (50%) or food scraps to make new food (32%).
More than a quarter of Americans indicated that they use “sustainability hacks” in the kitchen (27%) like making “vegetable stock from vegetable scraps,” “storing food in mason jars” or making sure “things in the fridge and freezer are organized. expired.”
“Small shifts in preparation and cooking habits can lead to big steps in reducing waste,” said Melissa Rakos, Chinet brand manager. “In addition, buying compostable products, or items with recyclable or compostable packaging, can easily reduce the amount of waste that is donated to landfills.”
Overall, two-thirds of respondents think they can do a better job of reducing the amount of waste they throw away, especially from Gen Z (73%).
Education may be the key to making a difference in America as 40% say they don’t know about composting food scraps, but Gen Zers are most likely to learn about it (70%).
Nearly seven in 10 also feel at least a little guilty when using disposable items (69%) such as plastic bags (29%), disposable water bottles (28%) and plastic or paper plates (22%).
Respondents are more likely to use disposable plates and cups if they know they are made from recycled or recyclable materials (68%).
And while 28% always recycle things at home that can be recycled, 62% admit to throwing things away because they are not suitable for recycling at least.
For many, self-reflection will also help their sustainability efforts as one in six realized they were more wasteful than they thought at the start of the survey.
“Making small daily habit changes can add up over time,” says Rakos. “Something as simple as using more sustainable disposable products can help make that change easier.”
SUSTAINABLE KITCHEN HACKS
- “Freezing certain foods to keep them fresh”
- “Plan a variety of meals using some of the same ingredients”
- “Store food in mason jars”
- “Buy in bulk and divide into individual packages to avoid overcooked quantities for food”
- “I only use fresh ingredients and take by-products or leftovers and return them to the forest”
- “Items in the fridge and freezer are set to expire next”
- “Wrap celery in foil to preserve it”
- “Grow new plants from other “leftovers” (i.e. lettuce and green onions)”
- “Vegetable stock from leftover vegetables”
- “Water from washing vegetables can be used to water flowers”
Survey method:
This random multiple-choice survey of 2,000 of the American general population was commissioned by Chinet between April 16 and April 22, 2024. It was conducted by a market research company. Talker Researchwhose team members are members of the Market Research Society (MRS) and the European Society for Marketing Opinion and Research (ESOMAR).
