Food Waste Reduction
Originally posted 11/22/2016
Thanksgiving is known for family, football and food. Despite our best intentions to clean our plates much of this food will go to waste as portions are left uneaten and grocery stores must dispose of unsold fresh food. The EPA estimates that food makes up 21% of the daily waste stream to landfills and incinerators. Reducing this waste has environmental and social benefits, from reducing methane emissions, a potent greenhouse gas, to increasing food security as formerly wasted food can be distributed to the 48 million Americans who are food insecure. Through good management of supply chains and more efficient waste management, retailers can significantly reduce their food waste. The Center for Retail Compliance (CRC) has resources to help you get started.
Retailers and their suppliers are already leading the way on reducing food waste. In November 2016, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the first group of Food Loss and Waste 2030 Champions. This companies, including national retailers, have committed to reducing food waste from their US operations 50% by 2030. This initiative compliments efforts already underway through EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge and the USDA’s Food Waste Challenge.
There are other resources to help companies reduce food waste. EPA’s Food Recovery Hierarchy prioritizes food waste reduction strategies based on environmental and social impacts and provides guidance and tools for waste reduction. The Food Waste Reduction Alliance has a toolkit that highlights leading practices in each area of the Food Recovery Hierarchy, including how to perform a waste characterization assessment, donation guidelines, and composting tips. There are also ideas for how retailers can influence their suppliers and customers, using their pivotal positon in the supply chain to change production processes and consumer habits.
As voluntary initiatives expand, so too do regulatory efforts to reduce food waste. Several jurisdictions require mandatory organic food waste recycling. The latest being California, mandatory composting for some facilities started in April 2016. The CRC’s Retail Food Service & Prepared Foods and Other Regulated Waste pages highlight issues and regulations related to food waste in retail.
Retailers are uniquely placed to effect change in this area and may find operational efficiencies to complement the social and environmental benefits.
