Denmark is making waves with its first food waste retailer, an action that will hopefully start a new trend throughout in the world. WeFood, the retailer brand in question, sells out-of-date but edible produce at a fraction of the original cost. As a food waste supermarket or retailer, their goal is to prevent as much wastage as possible and save the environment in the process.

With a 30-50 percent lower price tag, they are not just targeting the lower income group but all buyers in general. Judging by their great opening-day success, the idea of combating food waste in this innovative manner has appealed to the masses.

According to Consumer Reports, for every dollar Americans spend on food, about 10 cents' worth is actually thrown away. Imagine the cumulative wastage and how much money this is costing families.

The Environmental Protection Agency declared in January that food waste is a serious environmental issue, over and above its financial and moral implications. The world is literally reeling with widespread food insecurity. In the midst of such dire circumstances, throwing away food is just heinous. And when you think of what a burden it is on the planet, not acting on it is criminal offense.

A new EPA program was recently introduced to encourage businesses as well as individuals to minimize this wastage. The EPA even reached out to religious groups in order to combat food waste and prevent further environmental damage.

So how does this wastage affect our environment?

Most of the food trash ends up in landfills. When this food decomposes, it becomes a source of methane, which is a greenhouse gas that contributes significantly to global warming. With increasing global population and not enough sustainable farming practices, there is already a terrible burden on the planet.

The fact that we waste this food that has been grown with so much hard labor is an issue we need to face and tackle right away. While a major focus has been on increasing crop yield to combat food waste, few have focused on the how much of it is thrown away.

Recent studies show that more than a third of the world's food goes uneaten. Some of us are not even aware of how much we waste, which only goes to show there is an urgent need to educate the public about their actions and set them on the right path again.

New York-based philanthropic group, the Rockefeller Foundation, recently announced a $130 million project to combat food waste. The need of the hour is more organizations taking up the baton and help in this uphill struggle.

According to National Institutes of Health, U.S. consumers waste close to 50 percent more food now than they did in the 1970s. Considering that only the highest-quality products make it to the shelves, one can only imagine how much waste happens even prior to that step.

As per the University of California, Davis, in just California alone, 25 percent of the landfill constitutes food and agricultural waste. The state is one of the biggest producers and exporters in agricultural goods, but it is just one of many.

Foods wasted more often are perishable items like fish, eggs, poultry, meats and dairy products. For things like these, buying only what you need could be a start to prevent wastage. Donating food, reusing leftovers to make a new dish, freezing what can be kept a little longer and storing them in a proper manner could be the baby steps against the food waste.

Foods that have become completely inedible can still have use, as compost. If you just look at these simple steps, you will realize how easy is to prevent food wastage.

It is also important to know the true meaning behind the "sell by," "use by" and "best by" dates on labels before throwing way food. According to Consumer Reports, they refer to food quality rather than food safety in most cases.

France has taken groundbreaking steps in this regard by forbidding supermarkets from wasting food anymore. A new law prevents supermarkets from throwing away or destroying unsold food in order to deter foragers. Instead, they now have to donate it to charities and food banks who have welcomed this law with open arms.

Instead of tossing good food that is approaching its best-before date, they will give to charities of their choice, who in turn will use it to feed millions. Governments elsewhere should take a page out of their book and implement it in their own countries.