The Quick-Service Chain Will Collaborate With Food Industry Peers to Reduce Waste

(New York, NY, April 2, 2024) – Chick-fil-A, Inc., the third largest quick-service restaurant company in the United States, announced today that they have joined the U.S. Food Waste Pact, a national voluntary agreement focused on reducing food waste across the U.S. food system. As the U.S. Food Waste Pact’s first restaurant signatory, Chick-fil-A’s participation builds on its long-standing efforts to reduce the amount of wasted food within its own operations, and through its efforts to share data and best practices, it will also serve as an inspiration to its industry peers to do their own part in reducing waste.

According to U.S. Food Waste Pact resource partner ReFED, 38% of food produced in the United States goes uneaten or unsold, and the majority of this becomes food waste, going to destinations like landfill, incineration, or down the drain. This roughly 78 million tons of wasted food represents nearly 145 billion meals and is worth $428 billion annually. Food waste is also responsible for 6.1% of greenhouse gas emissions, and reducing it has been identified as a top solution to slowing down climate change. Chick-fil-A joins 12 food businesses currently in the U.S. Food Waste Pact – including industry leaders like Walmart, Inc., Sodexo USA, Aramark, Whole Foods Market, Del Monte Fresh Produce Company, and more – that have committed to reducing food waste in their operations.

The U.S. Food Waste Pact – launched in December 2023 at COP28 in Dubai – is a national pact that helps food businesses accelerate progress toward their waste reduction goals under the “Target, Measure, Act” framework. Businesses that join the U.S. Food Waste Pact measure and report food waste data to the Pact on a yearly basis and have the opportunity to participate in pre-competitive working groups and intervention projects that test, implement, and scale food waste solutions.

“At Chick-fil-A, we embrace opportunities to act as good stewards of the planet we share, and reducing food waste is a key way we demonstrate our commitment to care for the planet,” said Heather Beaubien, Director of Sustainability at Chick-fil-A, Inc. “Joining the U.S. Food Waste Pact will help us continue to advance these efforts. Whether through expanding the Chick-fil-A Shared Table® food donation program, improving data measurement or exploring other food waste diversion strategies, we look forward to working with the U.S. Food Waste Pact and its signatories to help make a positive impact on the food system in the years ahead.”

This partnership comes on the heels of a commitment from Chick-fil-A, Inc. to divert 25 million pounds of restaurant food waste from landfills by 2025. Through the Chick-fil-A Shared Table food donation program, composting and other efforts, the restaurant chain diverted 13.9 million pounds of food from landfill in 2022, and the 2025 goal is 88% complete. Chick-fil-A’s commitment to the U.S. Food Waste Pact will bolster these efforts by allowing the restaurant brand to benchmark and work alongside other food businesses across the supply chain.

The U.S. Food Waste Pact provides a unique opportunity for food businesses to further their sustainability efforts by working collaboratively to drive food waste reduction. ReFED and WWF – the two nonprofit partners who lead the initiative – offer a range of benefits to all signatories of the Pact, including:

• Return on Investment – Food waste reduction programs around the world have shown proven significant return on investment for all types of food businesses;

• Data Insights – Aggregated anonymous reporting from all signatories enables businesses to measure their progress, identify priority areas of action, and benchmark against competitors; and

• Industry Collaboration – Pre-competitive working groups open to all signatories offer opportunities for businesses to learn from each other’s successes; discuss solutions to challenges; and engage with government leaders through special policy roundtable discussions.

“We’re excited to welcome Chick-fil-A as the first quick-service restaurant to join the U.S. Food Waste Pact,” said Jackie Suggitt, Director of Capital, Innovation & Engagement at ReFED. “Food waste is a systemwide problem, and their participation brings us closer to realizing systemwide action across the food supply chain. We look forward to seeing how their work with our other signatories will impact not only their goals and efforts, but also how their participation in the Pact will serve as an inspiration for their industry peers to take action too.”

Current U.S. Food Waste Pact signatories include Ahold Delhaize USA, ALDI US, Aramark, Bob’s Red Mill, Compass Group USA, Del Monte Fresh Produce Company, Lamb Weston, Inc., Sodexo USA, Raley’s, Walmart Inc., and Whole Foods Market.

For more information about Chick-fil-A, visit https://www.chick-fil-a.com/

For more information about the U.S. Food Waste Pact, visit http://usfoodwastepact.org/

Media Contacts:

• Susan McCarthy, WWF, [email protected]

• Jeff Costantino, ReFED, [email protected]