Fact: We waste a lot of food in the United States—Americans throw away nearly half of what they buy!

So in an attempt to try to waste less, photographer Joe Buglewicz decided to take photos of rotting food as a reminder. “But over time I started reading more about food waste in the U.S., and the numbers kind of floored me,” Buglewicz told Fast Company‘s Co.Exist blog. The idea evolved into his photo series Rotten, and the result is a strangely beautiful series of images of decomposing foodstuffs.

The project was shot over the course of a year as Buglewicz discovered items— from tomatoes to bananas to garlic—that had gone bad. “Generally, once every few weeks, the fridge would provide me with a few subjects. I would open the door, smell something disgusting, and start rooting through to find the culprit,” he said.

Buglewicz also mentions that powerful visuals can be more effective in inciting change than numbers or statistics these days. What do you think: do these images want to make you waste less food?

To see the full series, check out Buglewicz’s website. And to learn how to trim your waste, read more here.