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Canadians waste more than $2.5 billion of produce each year, survey says

The average Canadian spends approximately $40.80 a week on fresh produce but will throw out about 10 per cent, cumulatively resulting in more than $2.5 billion of waste a year, says a recent survey by KitchenAid.

According to the survey of 1501 Canadians conducted in May, many of those polled are unknowingly shortening the lifespan of their produce by storing it improperly. Thirty-nine per cent of respondents did not know that certain fruits and vegetables should be stored separately to ensure maximum freshness.

For example, produce like apples and green onions emit ethylene gas, which speeds up the ripening process and can cause undesired changes in taste and texture. Others like spinach and yams are sensitive to this gas and should be stored separately from ethylene producing fruits and vegetables.

Also, if you leave certain fruits and vegetables on the counter of your humid and hot home, they will ripen faster, requiring you to eat them sooner. Factors such as humidity, odour and ethylene gas speed up the ripening process and can cause undesired changes in taste and texture.

Also see: Where you store your fruits and veggies can impact their nutritional value

However, it's important to note that another recent study suggests that fruits and vegetables should not be stored in the fridge or a dark place because it lessens their nutritional value.

Perhaps the solution to this conundrum is to consider what you value more: being environmentally conscious or getting optimal nutrition? If you feel as though you waste too much produce, know that storing it in the fridge will at least lengthen its lifespan.

See below for the kinds of produce we are throwing away:

  • 45 per cent of Canadians say they frequently throw out lettuce.

  • 41 per cent of Canadians say they frequently throw out bananas

  • 24 per cent of Canadians say they frequently throw out tomatoes

  • 23 per cent of Canadians say they frequently throw out grapes

  • 19 per cent of Canadians say they frequently throw out celery

Also see: Is peeling veggies really necessary?

Overall stats about the grocery spending habits of Canadians
:

  • $121: The amount the average Canadian spends each week on groceries.

  • $49.70: What Canadians aged 18-34 spend weekly on produce, 26 per cent more than Canadians aged 35-44 ($39.40).

  • 68% of Canadians would buy more produce each shopping trip if they knew it would last longer.

  • 55% of Canadians are willing to pay a premium for fruits and vegetables if they are organic or locally grown.

  • 30% of Canadians buy produce twice weekly.

  • 90% of Canadians feel guilty about throwing away uneaten fresh produce.

It might also be worth mentioning that a study from January of this year suggests Canadians produce more garbage per capita then any other country in the world.

The Conference Board of Canada gave Canada a C grade and ranked it in 15th place among 17 developed nations studied across a host of environmental-efficiency metrics.

What are your thoughts on how much Canadians waste, produce or otherwise? Do we have greater reason to be more wasteful? And is 10 per cent of wasted produce not that bad?