Report Finds Maine Wastes Less Food Than Most States in U.S.

According to a new report, our Pine Tree State doesn’t mess around when it comes to food waste.

Can you blame us for not wanting to waste food? We’re known for having such good eats that, of course, we’ll want to clean our plates and enjoy every bite—why even consider wasting?

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Well, having said that, which publication is crunching the numbers and determining that Maine wastes less food than most other states?

Cheapism recently shared a report from the Escoffier School of Culinary Arts that looked at food waste across the United States. The report combined state-reported waste levels from 2025, household data from 2023, restaurant waste figures, and other data, then used a point system to score each state on its level of waste.

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So, with that in mind, where did ‘Vacationland’ rank in this report, and what do the numbers look like when it comes to food waste?

According to Cheapism and their recent report highlighting ‘States That Waste the Most Food in America, Ranked,’ Maine came in at 48th, with only Idaho and Washington ranking lower.

Maine finds itself grouped alongside the Pacific Northwest, with Oregon ranked just ahead at 47th place.

Cheapism continues by noting that Arizona landed at the very top as the most wasteful state, due to its high waste levels and limited infrastructure, like food banks and composting facilities to handle it.

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And there you have it! When it comes to wasting food, Maine isn’t playing those games — we use what we have and appreciate it.

What are your thoughts on these results from Cheapism? We’d love to hear from you! Feel free to join the conversation by messaging us on the app.

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