Forty percent of all edible food goes to waste (PDF) in the U.S., and recent studies show that a staggering 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted annually worldwide.Food turns to garbage at all stages of production and consumption — from fields and storage facilities to our own homes. But with back-alley dumpsters filled with rotting food, the restaurant industry is one of the most recognizable areas of food waste, drawing increasing attention from both advocacy groups and average diners.

http://earth911.com/food/restaurants-fighting-food-waste/