Food production and consumption generates large amounts of waste. Recent estimates suggest that only 50 to 60 percent of food is actually consumed, with nearly half lost through on-farm, retail and in-home wastage. Most of this food waste is landfilled today, with little composted. Metro and the City have been aggressively trying to divert edible food to food banks and have begun a program of commercial food waste composting. Metro also provides support for home composters. Plans call for moving to residential food waste collection in Portland when the current commercial composter locates a facility in the region.

As food costs rise, it is likely that food waste will decline. Similarly, current food packaging is largely derived from fossil fuels, and as prices rise, the use of such packaging will likely decline. The bio-based packaging that replaces today’s materials will likely be more expensive as well, suggesting a trend toward more efficient packaging.