Today’s Solutions: February 16, 2026

Americans waste 38 million tons of food with a value of $165 billion each year. Reducing food waste is a major contribution to fighting global warming as agriculture is a leading source of carbon emissions. A new report looks at food waste from the perspective of “lost” health. If all that lost food were put on people’s plates, it would be enough to provide more than 190 million adults—80 percent of the American population—with 2,000 calories of energy every day. Remember that about 14 percent of U.S. households sometimes have trouble putting food on the table. “U.S. landfills represent vast repositories of lost nutrition,” according to the report.

Solutions News Source Print this article
More of Today's Solutions

How plant “touch” boosts resilience: new research reveals surprising stress r...

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM In the natural world, plants are often thought of somewhat as competitors, out there jostling for sunlight, nutrients, ...

Read More

3 science-backed ways to build more joy into everyday life

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Joy is often framed as a constant state we’re supposed to reach and maintain, as if feeling good ...

Read More

The Social Supermarket is like any regular store, except everything is free

The New Zealand capital Wellington is now home to quite a remarkable place: a supermarket where everything is free. This unique food bank, called ...

Read More

Sea cucumbers: The slimy superfood that fights diabetes

Inhabitants of Asian countries have long recognized the sea cucumber's extraordinary health advantages. The medicinal benefits of these gelatinous underwater dwellers certainly sparked our ...

Read More