It’s been just over two weeks since the 2025 ReFED Food Waste Solutions Summit wrapped up, and we’re still relishing all the moments of connection, inspiration, and problem solving. With nearly 800 in attendance, this year marked the largest Summit ever and the first time we officially sold out. Over the course of three days in Seattle, there were 11 field trips, more than 85 speakers, hours of networking, multiple workshops, and many side meetings—plus great conversations, amazing food, and a positive energy that infused the entire event. We previously shared some key themes from the first full day of programming, and with some time to pause and reflect, we’re highlighting three key takeaways from our time together.

A confluence of factors are making this the perfect time to accelerate progress.

Throughout the conference, attendees were reminded that progress on reducing food loss and waste is happening across the country. In her opening remarks, ReFED President Dana Gunders cited some examples: 12 states (plus the District of Columbia) with some type of restriction on sending food to landfill; California passing the first-ever law to standardize food date labels; retailers on the West Coast reducing unsold food by 30% since 2019; and Guckenheimer becoming the first major U.S. foodservice company to cut food waste in half. The accomplishment videos that were screened at the beginning of each mainstage session reinforced this message.

Unfortunately, that progress has not shown up in ReFED’s topline estimates of surplus food in the United States, which indicate that despite pandemic-related fluctuations over the past few years, overall numbers are essentially the same as they were in 2016. For this reason, accelerated action is needed to really make a difference. And fortunately, a number of factors make now the perfect time to do this.

Food waste is a bipartisan issue, as we heard from U.S. EPA’s Nena Shaw, and former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Kathleen Merrigan. Both acknowledged the potential for wins in the current administration, particularly related to date labeling and composting. In fact, the America First Policy Institute issued a brief in May that identifies “government and the private sector must collaborate to reduce food loss and waste” as a priority, proving further that food waste is receiving attention in the current political climate.

Consumers, who are the largest contributors to surplus food in the United States, are increasingly interested in supporting businesses that practice food waste reduction. Shara Orem of Datassential shared that 80% of consumers agree that they want restaurants to get on board with reducing food waste, and 81% say they are more likely to patronize establishments that donate excess food. In the home, 83% of parents make at least some effort to practice and teach kids eco-friendly habits such as reducing food waste.

Meanwhile, the groundswell of new solutions and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, are creating new tools to reduce food waste at scale. “We’re operating at a higher level of innovation now,” stressed Victor Friedberg, co-founder and managing partner of New Epoch Capital and co-founder of S2G Ventures. To unlock the next level of growth, solution providers need to show that their business model can make money. Matt Rogers, the co-founder and CEO of Mill and co-founder of Incite.org, emphasized that “there’s plenty of capital out there,” but to really grow your business, you need to “get your company to a place where it’s profitable and can scale.”

Everyone is connected to food waste, and that works to our advantage.

“Food waste is a systemwide problem, and there is a role for each stakeholder to play,” declared ReFED Executive Director Sara Burnett from the mainstage. The food waste challenge has tentacles that touch a broad range of topics, from natural resource conservation to climate change, to food security and hunger, to technology and innovation, funding, policy, health and wellness—and the list goes on and on. The sheer diversity of attendees and sessions (like “Solutions to Address On-Farm Loss,” “Alternative Financing Models for Food Waste Solutions,” “The Intersection of Diet, Health, and Waste,” and “Empowering Frontline Workers to Reduce Food Waste”) supports this.

Everyone eats, and therefore everyone has a role to play in reducing food waste, which is one of the most tangible examples of a triple-bottom-line impact, with social, environmental, and economic benefits. And this creates a lot of “on-ramps” to getting people to care, businesses to act, governments to legislate, and action to happen. We at ReFED exist to bring all of these people together under our “big tent,” which is at the core of what the Summit is all about. “Solving food waste requires an army of food waste warriors,” exclaimed ReFED President Dana Gunders. This year’s Summit provided a lot of inspiration and motivation to mobilize and create change within our spheres of influence.

We can solve food waste—together.

At the start of the conference, attendees heard that ReFED data shows that we are not meaningfully reducing surplus food in line with the U.S. and international commitments to halve food loss and waste by 2030. But despite that, there was—and continues to be—a strong sense among participants that food waste is solvable if we work together. “I don’t think that anything that’s being worked on here is a forever problem, I don’t think many people here do either. And yet, that’s how a lot of these problems are framed. To be around a group of people that have the sense of urgency and optimism to do something about it—that matters,” shared The Farmlink Project’s Co-Founder and CEO Ben Collier.

Collaboration and partnership were on full display at the Summit, with sessions on supply chain collaboration to reduce food waste, a workshop focused on the U.S. Food Waste Pact’s employee engagement toolkit, and announcements like the new grantees of ReFED’s Catalytic Grant Fund and the formation of a new National Food Recovery Association.

“If everyone does one small thing, the impact can be huge,” were the wise words of high school student Hunter Guthrie, who wowed the audience with his charisma and dedication to rescuing surplus meals to feed those in need. Victor Friedberg closed out the final mainstage session by stating, “We’re a community that can create change. Everyone here is connected to people who can help. This is no time to be shy about anything. Go for it.”

“With all of these amazing people working on this issue, we can get this done,” said ReFED President Dana Gunders. That sentiment was echoed across the halls of the Summit and will continue to be a driving force for our collective work in the months and years to come.

Looking to 2026

At the end of the event, it was announced that the 2026 ReFED Food Waste Solutions Summit will be held in Charlotte, North Carolina, next May 19-21. Given that this year’s event sold out, we encourage you to stay tuned for details on how you can reserve your spot to attend.

In the coming weeks, we will be posting video recordings of all of the Summit sessions, and we will update this blog to include a link so you can find those.

In the meantime, be sure to join ReFED virtual events and sign up for our mailing list so you will be the first-to-know all of the latest food waste news, including when you can register for the 2026 Summit.

Thanks to all of you for making this year’s Summit the best yet!