The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that about 40 percent of food in United States is thrown away, due largely to cosmetic defects or past-due expiration dates.

The issue has raised international attention, holding implications in the battles to end hunger and stem climate change.

How does Haines measure up?

In recent interviews, grocers say they take steps to prevent waste. On the plus side, residents here aren’t strangers to blemished vegetables. On the downside, shipping distances mean produce and other perishables arriving here can have a shorter shelf life than in other places.

Haines grocers say they use sales, composting and donations to ensure as little food as possible goes into the landfill.

Howser’s IGA manager Kevin Shove said with over 20,000 items on the shelf, it’s a challenge to keep up with expiration dates.

Shove said the food and grocery industry recently came to a consensus on expiration terms printed on perishable products. Previously, there were four phrases printed on products, but the industry narrowed it to two.

“Sell by” date means the product must be sold by the date stamped. It is often on items like meat and dairy. “Best if used by” date is printed on canned and dry products to guarantee freshness, but the food is often still safe to eat after the date.

“What we do is we try to catch items before the sell-by date and put them on sale,” Shove said. “In the winter, if we catch the sell-by dates in time, we freeze it and donate to Salvation Army. We’re human, and we probably miss a few, but we do our due diligence.”

Salvation Army lieutenant Kevin Woods said Howsers donated 50 near-expired gallons of milk last month in addition to a regular, monthly donation.

Shove said IGA will put best-if-used-by items like cereal or coffee on sale and will pull them about a month after the date to donate to Salvation Army or give to staff.

“We have a lot of people that really appreciate those discounts,” Shove said.

Overripe produce like lettuce, peppers, apples, onions and more are composted and given to Haines residents with chickens or other animals.

“I’m glad that we’re trying to do our part in the community,” Shove said.

Mary Jean Borcik, owner of Mountain Market, said staff try to be conscious of how much food they make in the café to minimize waste.

“We date everything we make in the kitchen and give it to the staff if it doesn’t sell,” Borcik said. “We do what we can, try to not make too much and not waste food, but it’s tricky.”

In the market, Borcik said she prices down produce and places it in a separate sale bin as it starts to get old. They have been doing that since the mid-1990s. “We’re pretty successful with that,” Borcik said. “Just because the apples don’t look great, doesn’t mean you can’t go home and make a great pie.”

After traveling for a week, greens only have about five days before they’re out of date, she said. Coffee grounds are collected for compost, and leftover produce is given to animals. “Chickens don’t like avocado and citrus,” Borcik said.

She estimated two to five gallons of produce every week doesn’t sell or has gone bad. The market throws out more items in the winter when composting and feeding animals is at a minimum, Borcik said. She said they don’t have to throw away much yogurt, sour cream or other dairy products.

“Eventually we do throw things in the garbage, but we strive to minimize that as much as possible,” she said.

Borcik said sometimes the market also receives “mispicks,” or incorrect orders that are donated to Salvation Army or the senior center. “We donate as (Salvation Army) asks us,” Borcik said.

Sarah Swinton said Olerud’s Market Center also composts produce and leaves a box at the back of the store for people to pick up and use for animals or gardens.

“We give whatever we have. Sometimes it’s nothing and sometimes it’s a lot, to Salvation Army once a month,” Swinton said. Olerud’s does not donate any dairy products or hot box items for fear of liability, though they are often put on sale close to expiration. “We legally can’t sell hot-box items after certain date, so it’s thrown out or given to staff,” Swinton said.

State Rep. David Talerico, R-Healy, recently proposed House Bill 186, that would allow grocery stores, hotels and restaurants to donate excess or outdated food to food banks or charitable organizations without liability. The state House of Representatives has approved the bill, which is under consideration by the state Senate.

Pam Randles started the Starvin’ Marvin Garden at Haines School in 2009, including a program that composts food waste from school lunches. It composts thousands of pounds of food each year.

Randles said landfill fees could be a motivator for composting. People also harvest a lot of wild plants and are “pretty in tune” with the land, she said. Randles said she thinks the community as a whole is “ahead of the game” in reducing food waste.