All photos courtesy Bosch.

On the heels of its new counter-depth refrigeration collection launch, Bosch home appliances recently unveiled the results of a new study examining the food waste habits of Americans. In the survey of 2,000 respondents, conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Bosch, Americans opened up about their weekly food waste habits and revealed staggering numbers at the household level.

With $102 worth of product in their refrigerator at any given time, the average American tosses nearly $54 in spoiled food a week, or $2,798 every year. As part of that waste, Americans toss four spoiled items from their refrigerator every week, equating to 103 pounds a year and 6,180 over the average adult lifetime. 77 percent of respondents attribute tossed items to forgetting they are in their refrigerator or losing them among the clutter. Further, 65 percent agree this waste is due to lack of organization or space in the fridge, with one in four admitting their refrigerator is unorganized.  

“These results show the significant impact that unnecessary food waste has on our everyday lives, those around us, and our wallets,” says Anja Prescher, Director of Brand Marketing at Bosch home appliances. “We believe the refrigerator should work harder for you to help prevent this waste, and our new freestanding Bosch French door bottom mount refrigeration collection is designed to help prevent food waste by keeping your food organized and fresher longer.” 

Passionate about reducing food waste and always keeping consumer insights at the heart of its innovations, Bosch encourages the following four tips at home:

 

Keep Items in View – Three in four Americans blame waste on either forgetting that certain items are in their refrigerator or losing them in the clutter. However, proper lighting and shelving design can make a big difference. In addition to LED lighting from corner to corner, the FlexBar™ on the new Bosch refrigeration collection provides a solution for typically unused space in the upper refrigerator cavity by raising items up and offering the ability to rearrange shelves.

Be Thoughtful about Arrangement – While 67 percent of Americans view themselves as being organized, one in four Americans also readily admit that their fridge is unorganized. The new Bosch refrigerators can help with solutions that are designed to keep items in view. Adjustable split shelving, gallon door bins and a three-tiered freezer drawer system create maximum flexibility and ease to help keep your refrigerator organized.  

Use Technology to your Advantage – The innovative FarmFresh System features the industry’s first automatic temperature and humidity control drawer, VitaFreshPro™, taking the guesswork out of food storage via pre-programmed freshness settings. The system also includes a FreshProtect™ Filter that slows the ripening process by absorbing ethylene gas emitted from fruits and vegetables. 

Get Friendly with Your Freezer – 52 percent of Americans agree they wastefully toss out food because it will spoil before they have a chance to eat it. In these instances, the freezer can help extend the life of ingredients and make weeknight meals easier. An organized freezer helps keep food visible, so it doesn’t get buried and forgotten. Bosch’s new counter-depth refrigerators offer a three-tier, layered freezer drawer system, creating extra storage for frozen items. The new organized shelving system, paired with LED lighting, clearly displays all freezer items, helping reduce food waste.

Bosch French Door Bottom Mount Refrigerator – FlexBar

Bosch French Door Bottom Mount Refrigerator

FarmFresh System’s VitaFreshPro