The NY Times has interesting article on Trashing the Fridge. Steve Kurutz, the writer, brings up the fact of eco-conscious people polarizing around giving up the fridge being a badge of commitment. He also brings up the argument that when considering the entire life-cycle (the food in the fridge, driving to the store, etc) around a refrigerator, they might be worth more than the convenience.
Energy Star refrigerators use about $40 worth of energy a year, while a mini fridge uses $6, so other factors start to weigh in much more. One might be driving to the store more frequently to buy fresh food, and another is food packaging from purchasing smaller quantities.
My own research shows that a bigger concern than energy, is the amount of food waste that gets disposed of in the average American home. Americans waste 14% of their food purchases, that is food that gets purchased and thrown away before it is consumed. That represents about $43 billion dollars nationally, and averages $590 for a four person family. Info from SoundVision.
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