More than 80% of Americans highly concerned about food waste, report finds

Gallup and several other groups used an app to track household food waste over seven days and found the average U.S. household wastes about six cups of food per week.

That lines up with data from the Food and Drug Administration that estimates 30% to 40% of food produced in the U.S. each year is thrown away.

Researchers also found Americans want to reduce food waste, with 82% saying saving money motivates them the most.

There are some simple ways to cut down on waste.

The easiest is to properly store your groceries:

• Most veggies should go in the high-humidity drawer.
• Many fruits can make other produce ripen faster, so they should be stored separately.
• Meat should be kept on the lower shelves.

And when you’re shopping, think ahead. Make your shopping list based on how many meals you’ll eat at home and when you’ll eat leftovers.