Smart containers for food storage in refrigerators

An estimated 35% of all food purchased for use at home is wasted, Anthony Gallo found in 1980, and the impacts are widespread. The most significant are environmental effects, as the food sector generates one third of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. The social and economic consequences are more subtle. Families lose hundreds of dollars a year on thrown out food, and consuming too much raises prices and lowers access, according to data collected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. As shown in
Fig. 1
, consumer wastage is a significant part of the overall food waste.