Feeding the Hungry and Reducing Solid Waste Through Food Recovery
Depending on the method of calculation, food waste ranks as the first or second largest group of materials in the solid waste stream. The main purpose of this guide is to help interested states and municipalities, as well as interested businesses that deal with food, reduce their solid waste by facilitating the donation of wholesome surplus food to philanthropic feeding organizations. Three important goals can be achieved at the same time: feeding hungry people, saving disposal costs, and protecting the environment.
The guide is based on the food waste reduction hierarchy:
- Minimize food waste generation
- Feed people first (food banks, shelters, soup kitchens)
- Then feed animals (livestock, zoos, pet food)
- Then industrial uses (rendering, fuel conversion)
- And compost the rest
Issues addressed include:
- Good Samaritan Food Donation Model Legislation
- Case Studies of four Food Recovery Efforts in Vermont, Washington, California and Massachusetts.
- How to partner with Food Recovery Organizations
- Description of Assistance Provided by the Federal Government
- Overview of safety and liability issues
- List of program resources in states
This guide serves as a useful resource for beginners, providing a good introduction to the social and economic benefits of implementing food recovery programs. However, it does not provide details on the specific steps necessary for program planning and implementation and many of the contact references are dated.
A mixture of decayed plants and other organic material that is used to enrich soil with nutrients.
