Did you know: Nearly 1/3 of the world's food supply goes uneaten every year, equivalent to approximately one trillion dollars' worth, and about one billion meals every day. In the United States, this breaks down to about 40% of the country’s food supply, and in Maine, as much as 361,000 tons per year. Food waste is also the single-most common landfilled material, and leads to the release of harmful greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing food loss and waste has been designated as one of Project Drawdown’s most urgent solutions for combatting climate change, because when food is wasted, it squanders all the extensive energy and natural resources needed at all stages of the food cycle. This presentation will cover the importance of reducing food waste, including tools for buying and storing food properly, tips on how to make leftovers fun, and more. Erika Schaper is an Environmental Educator at ecomaine where she teaches schools and community groups about waste reduction, recycling, composting, and all things trash. Before joining ecomaine, she worked as the Outreach and Education Coordinator for Lamoille Regional Solid Waste District in VT, and also taught science.