Have you ever thrown out perfectly good food because of a confusing date label? You’re not alone — and California is taking steps to solve this common kitchen problem.

The Golden State just passed a resolution calling on the federal government to standardize food date labels nationwide, a move that could help you save money on your grocery shopping while significantly reducing air pollution, according to NRDC.

Here’s the scoop: About 20% of food waste in our homes comes from being confused by date labels. More than 80% of Americans admit to throwing away food simply because it’s past the date printed on the packaging.

But here’s the catch: this data often has nothing to do with food safety.

By eliminating the date label chaos, we could give nearly $4 billion back to the American people. That’s a lot of money that could be better spent on, well, real money (or whatever else you want).

But it’s not just about saving money. This simple change could have a huge impact on our planet. Food waste is a major contributor to air pollution, and reducing it is one of the easiest ways we can all help cool things down.

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California’s push for federal action is like giving the whole country a recipe for success. If Congress follows suit, we’ll all be singing from the same songbook when it comes to expiration dates. No more guessing games on the supermarket shelf.

“Currently, there is no way to know which dates on our food are actual expiration dates and which dates represent peak quality,” writes NRDC journalist Andrea Collins, a specialist in sustainable food systems. “Consumers need consistent date labels so people stop throwing away good food prematurely.”

So next time you’re about to throw away your yogurt just because it’s past its expiration date, remember that change is coming. With a little patience and smart policy, we could all save money and the planet by wasting every bite less.

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