Today’s Solutions: December 17, 2025

The U.S currently has a major food waste problem, with an astounding 40% of food grown in the country winding up in the trash. And yet despite this, nearly 50 million Americans are “food insecure” according to the USDA. To combat both these issues, one grocery store in a working class neighborhood of Boston is providing its customers with cheap produce sourced from suppliers and grocers with surplus supplies. Founded by former Trader Joe’s President Doug Rauch, the nonprofit grocery store named Daily Table is stocking its aisles with food close to their expiration dates, foods that look “ugly,” and other surplus goods to bring affordable nutrition into a struggling area. The rates are beyond low at Daily Table, with bananas selling for 29 cents per pound and apples for 69 cents per pound. Daily Table isn’t the only surplus store selling cheap produce. In fact, a similar store opened up in Denmark just this past month. The stores are an innovative way of diverting food from the landfills to feed low-income shoppers and others concerned about food waste, and could be effective in fighting food waste if more can be implemented on a large-scale across the world.

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