Why Everyday Choices Matter!

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources 2020-2021 Statewide Waste Characterization Study found that wasted food and food scraps made up 20% of trash going to Wisconsin landfills. This amounts to approximately 854,000 tons annually, or 294 pounds per person, in Wisconsin during the study period. The study estimated that more than three-quarters of this food could have been consumed.  A 2025 study from the EPA found that the cost of food waste to each U.S. consumer is $728 per year. When food goes in the trash, so do resources, time, and money.

In this presentation, Ruth aims to raise awareness on the scale of food waste and how it impacts the climate. Ruth will provide zero cost solutions so that consumers can manage food more effectively and prevent good food from going bad. We’ll save some money and reduce our environmental footprint. 

Ruth O’Donnell has been working in the environmental protection field for over 30 years working in both the private and public sectors. She holds a Master of Science in Environmental Science and Policy with an emphasis on waste management from UW-Green Bay.  Ruth most recently worked at the Wisconsin DNR as an Organic Waste Management Specialist working on a project funded by an EPA grant to reduce per-capita food waste disposed of in Wisconsin landfills by 50% by 2030, compared to 2020 levels.  Recently retired, Ruth is reconnecting with her love of gardening, riding bikes with her husband and tending to her two compost bins!