New Frigidaire Survey Reveals Good Intentions Aren't Enough--Americans Still Toss Their Leftovers

To help combat food waste, Frigidaire is launching Frankie to help Americans save time and stretch their budgets

CHARLOTTE, N.C., June 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- As grocery costs continue to rise and U.S. families feel the squeeze, a new national survey from Frigidaire, a leading home appliance brand under Electrolux Group (OTCMKTS: ELUXY), reveals a frustrating contradiction inside American refrigerators: while they have good intentions about saving leftovers, many are still throwing them away.

According to the survey, nearly three‑quarters of U.S. adults (74%) say they discard food from their refrigerator at least once a week. For some households, the cost adds up quickly—more than one in five Americans (22%) estimate they waste as much as $1,200 annually on uneaten food.

The disconnect is striking, especially as Americans overwhelmingly say their motivation for saving leftovers is rooted in smart, intentional habits, like trying to avoid food waste (64%) and saving money (52%). Yet, food still gets forgotten and thrown out, often leaving consumers feeling guilty.

"What stood out in this survey is that people genuinely do have the best intentions when it comes to saving food," said Hannah Humphreys, Brand Manager, Food Preservation at Electrolux. "Our findings show that while most people actually enjoy eating leftovers, in practice they are pushing them to the back of the fridge and either forgetting about them or second-guessing whether they're still fresh."

Turning Good Intentions into Action

 To help people make the most out of their leftovers, Frigidaire is launching Frankie by Frigidaire™, a personalized AI-powered assistant designed to remove the uncertainty that often leads leftovers to go uneaten.

Built to take the stress out of mealtime, Frankie helps users turn the leftovers in their refrigerators into new recipes—offering creative remix ideas and providing tailored reheating guidance that helps consumers save time and stretch their grocery budgets further.

While inspiration plays a key role in reducing food waste, survey findings also show that visibility matters. Although 79% of consumers feel confident their refrigerator keeps food fresh, one in three say better organization and visibility would help them waste less.

Designed for Freshness, Built for Smarter Storage

Frigidaire refrigerators are designed to make food easier to see, store, and use. Features that support smarter food management are found across their most popular models like the Frigidaire Gallery 4-Door French Door Refrigerator, including:

• Custom-Flex® Temp Drawer, which easily converts between refrigerator and freezer space
• SpaceWise® Organization System, offering adjustable shelving, expandable door bins, and dedicated storage zones
• CrispSeal® Crispers, which help keep produce fresher longer by managing moisture and airflow – helping 40% of people who say the main reason they toss their leftovers is because they worry about food safety or freshness.

"Too often, the challenge isn't saving leftovers, it's knowing what to do with them," says Humphreys. "By combining Frankie with our innovative refrigeration features, we're helping remove that friction—making it easier to turn what's already in your fridge into meals you actually want to eat, while keeping food fresher for longer."

Explore Frigidaire's #1 consumer-rated line of refrigerators at www.frigidaire.com/en/kitchen-appliances/refrigerators and access Frankie today here.

About Frigidaire®
Frigidaire® has been designed to help families make the most of their time and space with high-performing, easy-to-use appliances with time-saving features. To learn more about Frigidaire® and its full range of innovative home appliances, please visit www.frigidaire.com

About Electrolux Group
Electrolux Group is a leading global appliance company that has shaped living for the better for more than 100 years. We reinvent taste, care and wellbeing experiences for millions of people, always striving to be at the forefront of sustainability in society through our solutions and operations. Under our group of leading appliance brands, including Electrolux, AEG and Frigidaire, we sell household products in around 120 markets every year. In 2024, Electrolux North America had sales of $4.3 billion and employed more than 9,000 people. For more information go to www.electroluxgroup.com.

Survey Methodology
Ruder Finn, on behalf of Frigidaire, commissioned Atomik Research to conduct an online survey of 2,000 adults throughout the United States. The margin of error is +/- 2 percentage points with a confidence level of 95 percent. Fieldwork took place between March 20 and March 24, 2026.

Atomik Research, part of 4media group, is a creative market research agency.

Contact:
Samantha Murphy, Ruder Finn
[email protected]

SOURCE Frigidaire