Press

Zhang Shijia first had the idea of buying food past its "best before dates" when she was browsing a dizzying array of products on Taobao.

The low-price tags caught her eyes. For a bag of chocolates that normally costs around 40 yuan ($6.2), the food store on China's biggest online shopping...

Last night at dinner, a family friend asked if it was true that around one-third of the food in this country is wasted. It was sobering to say yes. Estimates vary, but approximately 25-40% of food grown, processed and transported in the U.S. will never be consumed. The United States...

During a panel discussion hosted by The Global FoodBanking Network (GFN), WRAP, and the Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic experts identified key solutions that can slash food waste and help reduce hunger.

Becoming carbon neutral by 2030 is becoming a civic moonshot of our time. Creating carbon neutral cities requires major carbon emissions reductions complemented by carbon removal — implying energy efficiency, 100 percent renewable power, more resilient and flexible grids, powering through the electrification of everything, and more. 

In the following piece, we explore how AgTech and Food Innovation can help solve for both sides of the sustainable production and consumption equation.

Tops Friendly Markets has rolled out the Flashfood food waste-reduction program to 17 additional stores, the New York supermarket chain announced in a press release Wednesday.

The Insight Engines market is a comprehensive market research report which provides market analysis with a historical & futuristic perspective for the following parameters; market size, revenue, demand, and supply data (as applicable). The report offers a detailed market analysis to provide a 360-degree research study on the global Insight...

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will make food waste reduction a key component of President Joe Biden’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Consumer-facing businesses, including restaurants and retailers, are responsible for 27% of food waste in the U.S., according to recent data from the ReFed Insights Engine. At 21%, farms aren’t far behind.

For all of the wrong reasons, global trade and supply chain logistics have been front of mind this year. When consumers get what they want, when they want it, they typically don’t ask too many questions about what goes on behind the scenes, such as who made the product, where...

In the United States, an estimated 30% to 40% of the food supply is wasted, according to the FDA. This is a problem for a number of reasons. First of all, it costs a lot of money—more than $400 billion in 2019, according to ReFed. In addition, all the water,...

The Insight Engines Market is expected to register a CAGR of 23.18% over the forecast period from 2021 - 2026.

Continued strides are being made around the world to ensure human food waste and food processing by-products are not sent to landfills or incinerated but converted back into nutritious products by dairy cattle. From the US to India, we look deeper into food waste as cow nutrition.

Globally, an astounding 1.3 billion tons of food are either thrown away or lost along the value chain, which is approximately a third of the entire food production. What most people are not aware of, is that the majority of food waste accumulates in the very beginning of the value...

Preventing food waste at the source remains a priority over simply diverting it from disposal, panelists said during an NYC Food Waste Fair session.

A column highlighting climate-related studies, innovations, books, cultural events and other developments from the global warming frontier.

Since we just held a Spoon event this week focused on reducing waste, I thought it appropriate to recycle my headline from earlier this year: We Need to Talk About Cashierless Checkout. I’m not just being lazy, I think we legitimately need to talk about cashierless checkout (again) because so...

By reducing food waste in production and supply lines, the agency is exploring the prioritization of food recovery over waste diversion.

This being The Spoon, a lot of our discussions around food waste concern the innovative technologies that could help us eventually curb the multi-billion-dollar problem and meet national and international targets to halve food waste by 2050. But as we learned today at our Food Waste Insights and Innovation Forum, done...

Dumpster divers not only find usable goods, but they also post on social media to bring attention to waste and create change within the retail system. At a time of historic income inequality, food insecurity, and a global pandemic, the retail practice of throwing out usable goods and edible food...

In this Food Tech News Round-up we cover beer made from food waste in Finland, the launch of new culinary degree programs in Boulder, Colorado, Natural Light’s vacation giveaway to Alaska, and the opportunity to score some free Just Egg products for you and your friends.

Since the start of 2021, we’ve seen numerous developments that showcase how vast and varied the efforts to fight food waste have become. Sachets that slow food spoilage. Hyperspectral imaging to analyze avocados. Vodka made from old crackers. A skincare line. 

The Sanitation Foundation, the official nonprofit of the New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) opened registration for its third biennial NYC Food Waste Fair, which will be a unique hybrid virtual/in-person program this year from June 14th to June 19th. The weeklong series of panels, keynote speeches, in-person workshops...

Food loss and waste come in all shapes and sizes: banana peels, salmon trimmings, spoiled produce, expired goods, not-expired but perceived-expired goods, and so much more. Of all food produced in the United States, 40% of it is thrown away and culminates in our landfills, where it rots and emits...

Restaurant kitchens during both World Wars operated under the gospel of the clean plate. "Don't Waste Any Food. Leave a Clean Dinner Plate," read one 1917 propaganda poster for the Department of Agriculture's (USDA) anti-waste campaign. We may not need to conserve food in order to send meals to...

Advocates for federal policy around food waste reduction and prevention have been working for years to move the needle in this space; meanwhile we get close to 2030, the year that EPA has called for a 50% cut in food waste, which the country is far from reaching. ReFED reports it...

A year ago, Markus Steilemann, chief executive of Germany-based Covestro, declared the company aimed to become “fully circular” — a goal that includes having its 30-plus manufacturing facilities worldwide powered by renewable energy sources and using recycled raw materials for the plastics and specialty materials it makes for automotive parts,...

Where human self-interest and free markets fail, we need legislation to enforce our obligations to the planet. The recent passage of the Zero Waste Omnibus Amendment Act shows the District has recognized the need to reduce the waste we generate. Organic waste management is an important element of this legislation,...

More than 30 million tons of food waste is generated by consumers each year, comprising the largest slice of all sources of food waste at 37%, according to ReFED.

To combat this, the city of Santa Cruz has been hosting a series of webinars targeted at reducing food waste in the...

How does food waste affect New York and New Jersey? New York State generates 3.9 million tons of food waste every year; while New Jersey estimates that its residents throw out 1.3 million tons. Based on estimates from ReFED, the food wasted in New York and New Jersey has an...

Sustainability is a key priority for customers; in fact, a 2020 McKinsey study found that 67% of consumers consider the use of sustainable materials when they decide what brand to buy. To meet that need, many grocers have launched their own eco-friendly initiatives, and a foundational element is encouraging...

The hard cost of wasted inventory in the grocery industry — known as shrink — is critical in addressing today's weighty climate change and food insecurity issues.

Leading the way. Countries as well as companies can be scored on their performance on ESG, for environmental, social and governance factors. Autocracy, repression and other ‘G’ risks in countries like Saudi Arabia and China, among many others (see No. 1, below), spurred us to look for practitioners of good government who...

Food waste is an ethical and an environmental problem. It’s also a business opportunity, ready for innovative solutions.

Apeel announced on Tuesday that it has acquired machine learning company ImpactVision to further its food waste reduction efforts. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Composting, packaging and circular economy-oriented organizations and trade groups have formed the U.S. Composting Infrastructure Coalition to advocate for expanding and increasing access to “robust programs that divert food waste, yard trimmings, and certified compostable packaging.”

Six trade groups and non-governmental organizations tied to organics recycling have formed the United States Composting Infrastructure Coalition. The new Washington-based coalitions says it will “support innovative and responsible waste reduction and recovery solutions like composting.”

Today, brands and manufacturers are faced with endless choices and tradeoffs when it comes to food packaging. Take the packaging options for cheese. From individual foil-wrapped wedges to a round of Camembert packaged in its own rind to plastic-wrapped singles, to resealable plastic bags of shredded cheese, the multitude of...

Not so very long ago, the United States lagged far behind Europe in terms of the widespread availability of food rescue apps. Fortunately, a heightened awareness of the world’s food waste problem has changed this and created opportunities for food rescue companies in the U.S.

Three ways to invest in upskilling workers for the post-COVID economy. Among the reasons for the post-pandemic labor shortage: a dissatisfaction with frontline, poorly paid work. New financing mechanisms are helping workers upgrade their skills, occupations and industries. Investors can deploy capital through “career impact bonds” and funds dedicated to bridging...

Too Good To Go, the tech-for-good company powering the world’s #1 app for fighting food waste, today announces its national expansion to the West Coast.

Over 200 food shops across the West Coast have already joined in on the fight against food waste. Too Good To Go’s first stop is the...

Congress has an unprecedented opportunity to better address childhood food insecurity while simultaneously advancing climate impact goals through food waste reduction in the upcoming Child Nutrition Reauthorization (CNR)—a periodic update of laws that impacts the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Special Supplemental Nutrition for Women, Infants and Children...

Professor Emily Broad Leib reads the statistics about the 1 billion people going hungry every year—and 1.3 billion tons of food going unused—and shakes her head.

Researchers at the National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark have developed a new biological method of extending the shelf life of food and fighting food waste. According to a blog post pubished this week on the university’s website, scientists have created a natural lactic acid bacterium that secretes nisin, an...

US-based light-emitting diode (LED) curing solutions provider Phoseon Technology has joined the global brands tier of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC).

Earth Day brought up renewed interest in the environment and the US goal to halve greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030. Not surprisingly, there are a flock of upcoming conferences on food waste reduction.

By now, you know the stats: Each year, over one-third of our food produced is wasted.

That translates to about $285 billion (or 54 million tons) worth of food each year in the US alone. That’s more than a quarter trillion dollars worth of food, produced from or with scarce inputs...

On April 23, President Biden signed into law a new food allergy bill that requires sesame be labeled on all packaged foods by January 1, 2023 and that food allergy research be given a higher priority by the federal government. Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE), a leading non-governmental organization active...

It was no surprise that Hannaford Supermarkets chose April 20 — two days before Earth Day, and eight days in advance of the international Stop Food Waste Day this Wednesday — to announce a milestone in reducing food waste. The Scarborough-based company began working early, a decade ago, to shrink...

he average supermarket stocks 28,112 items and much of the fresh produce, packaged meats, cartons of milk and prepared meals lining store shelves ends up in a landfill.

"The waste is really mindboggling," admits Jennifer Molidor PhD, senior food campaigner for the Center for Biological Diversity.

In March, Asheville City Council declared April to be Food Waste Reduction Month. Here is how you can celebrate Earth Day 2021 by participating in #AVLFoodWasteChallenge today!

Food waste reduction matters because up to 40% of food in the US is wasted, contributing to negative environmental, economic and societal...

I took the first bite with trepidation but was pleasantly surprised by the taste of a sandwich containing an item I routinely throw into the garbage bin — banana peels. This eye-opening (or rather palate-expanding) experience took place in a UC Davis classroom in the spring of 2019, where I...

How we got to that sad statistic, plus the small steps you can take that’ll actually make a difference.

Food waste is a national problem and cross-industry concern. Here are some steps you and your operation can take to start making a difference.

CHELMSFORD — In the produce aisle of the Hannaford supermarket here, stacks of gorgeous red Roma tomatoes are placed tenderly in tiered “pocket protector” trays to help reduce bruising. Behind the doors of the dairy refrigerators, leaky gallons of milk are pulled aside in a basket. The fat trimmings and...

We’ve all found ourselves clutching that lonely can of forgotten pantry beans, thinking about how far past the “best by” date we can conscientiously donate the uneaten food. You might throw them in the trash or (hopefully) send them to your local food bank, alongside pasta, boxed mac and cheese,...

Hazel Technologies, a Chicago-based startup that created a small drop-in packet to keep bananas and other produce from turning prematurely brown, is starting to produce a lot of green.

The 6-year-old company announced Tuesday that it raised $70 million in a completed investment round, financing ambitions to grow Hazel into an...

What would happen if the United States enacted a comprehensive plan to combat food loss and waste? Now is the moment to ask, because the new U.S. administration is proving itself open to genuinely ambitious change. The answer? A cascade of benefits would follow, from economic savings to reduced hunger...

The national nonprofit ReFED recently completed an analysis of the types and causes of food waste and identified more than 40 solutions to help the U.S. reach the 2030 goal of a 50 percent reduction in food waste.

Washington has long been a global leader in zero-emissions energy production. It generates a whopping 81% of its power from wind, water and sunshine.  

Now, state lawmakers and Gov. Jay Inslee finally have the chance to make Washington a hub of clean transportation, too — and not a moment too soon. 

Never before in San Diego County has the need for food assistance been greater than it is today. Families, kids, seniors, and members of the military and their families could all use extra resources as the ripple effects of the pandemic continue. Hundreds of thousands of people face hunger in...

The sheer scope of America’s food waste problem is stunning. According to a recent analysis by ReFED, a national nonprofit focused on the problem, 35 percent of our food goes uneaten. Food waste is the largest portion of this and is the single largest input to landfills. Here in...

In 1969, Earth Day sprung from the growing collective of student groups who were clamoring for public consciousness on deteriorating air and water quality in the United States. Now, more than a half-century later, young people are paving the way for a renewed fight against climate change and environmental destruction.

This...

In the United States, 35 percent of the 229 million tons of available food went unsold or uneaten in 2019, according to ReFED. Full Harvest is working to solve the massive $2.5 billion food waste problem through the only B2B online marketplace for imperfect and surplus produce, connecting farmers...

Hazel Technologies, a Chicago-based startup that created a small drop-in packet to keep bananas and other produce from turning prematurely brown, is starting to produce a lot of green.

The 6-year-old company announced Tuesday it raised $70 million in a completed investment round, financing ambitions to grow Hazel into an...

Sometime over the last month, you probably threw away a banana. Maybe it got too ripe. Or maybe your child didn’t like the one he was eating with the spotty, brown skin. You probably didn’t think much about tossing it. But all told, Americans throw away 5 billion bananas every...

Every year, anywhere between 30% and 40% of food produced for human consumption is wasted in the United States. Sometimes it fails to get harvested or it spoils during transport; other times it does not get sold at the supermarket or perhaps it gets forgotten at the back of someone's...

Several organizations banded together this week to release the US Food Loss & Waste Policy Action Plan, which calls on the Biden administration and Congress to take more action when it comes to fighting food waste. ReFed, the World Wildlife Fund, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), and Harvard Food...

Sometime over the last month, you probably threw away a banana. Maybe it got too ripe. Or maybe your child didn’t like the one he was eating with the spotty, brown skin. You probably didn’t think much about tossing it. But all told, Americans throw away 5 billion bananas every...

The Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions at the University of Maine will host the first annual Maine Food Waste Solutions Summit from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, April 9, to build awareness of the growing food waste problem and to share solutions that promote economic development,...

An action plan to curb food loss and waste in the U.S. — pitched to Congress and the Biden administration this week by four organizations and supported by a host of cities, businesses and nonprofits — recommends funding infrastructure that keeps organic waste out of disposal sites by providing state- and city-level...

The dairy purveyor forms an alliance with multiple distinguished partners to roll out its latest industry-shaking strategy

ReFED outlines seven key action areas to focus food waste reduction efforts over the next 10 years.

Two Good® Yogurt has teamed up with James Beard Award-winning Chef Marcus Samuelsson and Full Harvest this Earth Week to kick off a movement that highlights the critical role that food waste plays in our collective relationship with the climate and our stewardship of the planet. The partnership invites restaurants...

ReFED — the only national nonprofit focused exclusively on ending food loss and waste across the food system — announces the appointment of Shawn Shepherd as the organization’s first Director of Development and the promotion of Alexandria Coari, Director of Capital & Innovation, to Vice President of Capital, Innovation...

When we waste food, we waste an enormous amount of water, land, and money, and we create global warming pollution—but reducing food waste in the U.S. is a solvable problem. With a renewed federal effort to rebuild our nation, now is the time to accelerate action and achieve our national...

Sometime over the last month, you probably threw away a banana. Maybe it got too ripe. Or maybe your child didn’t like the one he was eating with the spotty, brown skin. You probably didn’t think much about tossing it. But all told, Americans throw away 5 billion bananas every...

Those small pieces of plastic in your shopping cart add up to mountains of plastic waste. The U.S. generates 42 million metric tons of plastic waste each year and most ends up in oceans or landfills where it takes up to 500 years to break down. Your weekly shopping...

Food waste problems have long challenged the U.S. where as much as 40% of food was going into the trash, rather than to feed families. Now the ReFED Insights Engine, a new online data center with a granular analysis of food waste (by sector, state, food...

Five ways that lenders can interrupt racism and provide restorative-justice capital in our communities. Can community development financial institutions be anti-racist? Many CDFIs, with their mission of expanding economic opportunity, have provided a financial lifeline to communities of color that have faced generations of discrimination.

Today, the Pacific Coast Collaborative (PCC) announces that Food Northwest -- organized to advance the ability of the food industry to produce and deliver wholesome, safe food from the Pacific Northwest to the world -- is the first industry association to join the West Coast Voluntary Agreement to Reduce Wasted Food to implement...

The COVID-19 pandemic has already permanently shuttered 17 percent of restaurants nationwide, forced millions into unemployment, and left chefs, owners, and workers struggling to imagine what the future looks like in the near- and long-term. As states move from re-opening to returning to restrictions on dining and the industry...

In the 40 years following their deliverance from slavery, the Israelites had to conserve and refrain from wasting any of their food as they traversed through the desert before reaching the promised land. Today, however, the polar opposite is occurring on a global scale. Food waste has become a monumental...

Since the world was introduced to the first meal kit over a decade ago, the industry has matured in size and familiarity, but it also has endured notable criticism surrounding packaging and its perceived impact on the environment. Leading sustainability for a meal kit company, I am acutely aware of...

From March 18-21 experts will discuss ways to change food and agriculture systems for the better as part of The Future of Food @ SXSW. The event, which is part of this year’s virtual South by Southwest (SXSW) festival, is presented by The Kroger Co. Zero Hunger | Zero Waste...

ReFED has released what it calls the “next generation” of its 2016 Roadmap: The Roadmap to 2030: Reducing U.S. Food Waste by 50%, which includes more recommendations to cut food waste and a more comprehensive analysis of the food waste problem than the first edition. With 42 ideas to reach this goal – 50%...

Hunger and food insecurity is a life-threatening issue that plagues millions of people nationwide — and the U.S. happens to be among the top 10 food-wasting countries globally. That said, grocers, supermarkets, and food distribution centers are some of the leading contributors to food waste, annually tossing 80 billion pounds...

HelloFresh, the world’s leading meal kit provider, today announced that it has exceeded its sustainability plans for 2020 and will further expand its efforts for 2021 and beyond. The recently published Sustainability Report 2020 highlights key achievements, in line with the “Sustainable Development Goals” defined by the United Nations.

The nonprofit ReFED recently launched a new waste reduction plan, along with a suite of solutions and digital tools, that may help the food industry make a bigger impact on reducing waste.

SnackFutures, the Mondelēz International, Inc. (Nasdaq: MDLZ) innovation and venture hub, today announced its membership to the Upcycled Food Association (UFA), a non-profit organization dedicated to preventing food waste by growing the upcycled economy.SnackFutures was created in 2018 as a growth driver for Mondelēz International with a focus...

American Rescue Plan brings policy support – and $1.9 trillion – to the bottom-up reconstruction. The legislation’s narrative of bottom-up prosperity for the post-COVID recovery resonates with a core thesis of impact finance: Putting more wealth and income into the hands of lower-income people is good business. The $1.9 billion rescue...

Food waste is a systemwide problem, and solving it will require a systemwide response. To help guide action across the food supply chain, ReFED introduced two new resources that support action around our national goal to reduce food waste by 50 percent by 2030.

A report by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) anticipates that, if left unchecked, 2030 will see a total of 2.1 billion tons of food wasted — in stark contrast with the UN’s goal to cut food waste in half by the same year.

According to the USDA, between 30 and 40...

The Coronado High School Emerald Keepers Club “broke ground” on the new school garden and composting facility at the newly reestablished Angela’s Garden on Village Elementary School grounds Saturday. The team assembled and started their first two composting piles under the guidance of Coronado Master Composter Laura Wilkinson.

In the United States, 35% of all food goes unsold or uneaten – and most of that ends up in the trash. The impact of food waste on our climate is enormous since food that is never eaten still requires resources to grow, harvest, transport, cool, cook, or otherwise prepare....

Seebo’s new technology offers food companies a way to pinpoint pesky production losses that aren’t readily apparent to the human eye. Shaving off a few production losses here and there may sound trivial, but considering the volume that some of its existing clients like General Mills and Mondelez are churning...

There’s a hard-to-maintain balancing act at the heart of attempts to limit food waste. Consumers like to have plenty of food on hand at home and in stores. The obvious solution is to over-order, but that’s one reason why those locations account for half of all food waste in the...

It may sound surprising, but food waste is problematic to the environment. The easy solution—tossing out that wilted head of lettuce or stale loaf of bread—can lead to dangerous consequences.

Decomposing food in the landfill releases methane gas. This is serious. As a greenhouse gas, methane is 28 times more efficient...

According to the nonprofit ReFED, more than a third of all food grown for human consumption in the United States is wasted by U.S. consumers. That is about $408 billion worth of food, grown on 18% of U.S. farmland with 4 trillion tons of water. The report also says that...

The Kroger Co. Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation is proud to present The Future of Food @ SXSW, March 18-21, during SXSW Online 2021.

Join leading voices working towards a better food future, like Danielle Neirenberg of Food Tank, Joi Chevalier of The Cook’s Nook and...

Today, days after President Joe Biden declared Texas a state of emergency, OHUB, 100 Black Angels & Allies Fund, HR&A Advisors, Capital Factory, The City of Austin, Huston-Tillotson University, NexGenT and DivInc announce a collaboration to launch an “OHUB x Austin Equity District” as an intentional plan to...

I have a gross confession: Last week, when I cleaned out my fridge for the first time in I’d-rather-not-say-how-long, I found some slimy spinach, a jar of salsa gone moldy, the soured dregs of a pint of yogurt and a ball of leftover cookie dough I forgot to bake. All...

In our latest episode of NothingWasted!, we bring you a dynamic session from WasteExpo Together Online: “Rising Leaders Talk Trash.”

The discussion includes innovators and up-and-coming leaders from the Waste360 40 Under 40 winners, who provided their perspectives about where the industry is heading. The speakers were: Alexandria Coari, Capital & Innovation...

Midwestern regional grocer Meijer is on track to integrate Flashfood’s food waste reduction app into all of its stores by the end of 2021 after facing delays with the rollout due to the coronavirus pandemic, the company said in a press release on Thursday.

Grand Rapids, Michigan-based grocery retailer Meijer is expanding its Flashfood waste reduction program, planning to complete implementation across all 256 supercenters and grocery stores this year. The program allows customers to use an app to purchase food nearing its sell-by date at up to 50% off, thereby reducing in-store food...

The Upcycled Standard, developed by the Upcycled Food Association, is designed to reduce food waste by promoting the upcycled food economy. Upcycled products use ingredients that have full nutritional value and are safe but for various reasons would have gone to waste. Operators that grow, produce, manufacture, process, and trade...

The Upcycled Standard, developed by the Upcycled Food Association, is designed to reduce food waste by promoting the upcycled food economy. Upcycled products use ingredients that have full nutritional value and are safe but for various reasons would have gone to waste. Operators that grow, produce, manufacture, process, and trade...

Progress in recycling and composting trends may not be enough to stop landfill expansion. 

Recycling market development and food waste are among many issues stakeholders hope will receive renewed federal engagement, despite limited attention in the president's agenda to date.

A column highlighting climate-related studies, innovations, books, cultural events and other developments from the global warming frontier.

A new online Insights Engine launched by ReFed, a national nonprofit focused on ending food loss and waste across the food system, has revealed that the total amount of food waste per capita has decreased two percent over the last three years.

While this demonstrates that food waste reduction efforts...

A new online Insights Engine launched by ReFed, a national nonprofit focused on ending food loss and waste across the food system, has revealed that the total amount of food waste per capita has decreased two percent over the last three years.

In Roadmap to 2030and Insights Engine, the nonprofit ReFED analyzes seven actions in the food supply chain, 40 food waste reduction solutions and more than 700 organizations working to reduce food waste. ReFED projects the $14 billion annual investment could yield $73 billion – a five-to-one return.

It's one of the biggest events in the United States - for food waste.

Falling just behind Thanksgiving, Super Bowl spending averages around $80 per person annually, according to the National Retail Association. The majority of that spending, 77%, is on food and beverage. Despite stay-at-home orders and social distancing, Americans...

Austin Resource Recovery (ARR) is slated to begin the fourth and final expansion of its curbside composting program this month, bringing the total number of Austin, Texas, residents with access to the organics diversion service to over 200,000 households.

Our food-waste problem is happening pretty much everywhere in the U.S., including on farms, in supermarkets, and at restaurants. But it’s also happening in our homes. “All those fridge clean-outs and scraped plates add up,” Dana Gunders, executive director of ReFed, a national nonprofit dedicated to fighting...

A new website from the nonprofit ReFed shares the data in detail and maps out potential solutions. At restaurants, for instance, because portions are typically so large that diners leave food on the plate, shrinking portions could divert 2.4 million tons of waste a year, avoiding 11.5 million...

The total amount of food wasted in the U.S. has leveled off since 2016, while food waste per capita has decreased 2 percent over the last three years, according to ReFED’s newly launched data hub, the Insights Engine. But more must be done to meet the country’s goal of cutting...

The report by ReFED, the only national nonprofit working to end food waste, found that 35% of food, or 80.6 million tons, went uneaten or unsold in the United States in 2019 — an estimated loss of $408 billion. It also significantly contributed to greenhouse gas emissions due to the energy...

WE HAVE ONE WORD FOR YOU. JUST ONE WORD: Batteries.

Let's start in the U.S. President Joe Biden is moving quickly to accelerate the shift to electric vehicles and jump-start a domestic industry. Days after taking office, he signed an executive order to use American-made, union-built, zero-emission cars, vans and trucks to ferry...

During a panel discussion organized by Food Tank and the Refresh Working Group, experts shared the ways that technology can make supply chains more transparent while supporting food access and sustainability.

Moderated by Food Tank President Danielle Nierenberg, and journalist Chloe Sorvino of Forbes, the event is part of a weeklong series about...

Food Tank, in collaboration with the Refresh Working Group, is introducing a roadmap for policymakers around best practices in navigating the intersection of food and technology. Download the report HERE.  

Hellmann's will make its first Super Bowl appearance with a commercial providing tips on how to avoid wasting food at home. The Unilever mayonnaise brand plans to air a 30-second spot starring comedian Amy Schumer, who urges people to "make taste, not waste," during the third commercial break in the...

Imagine a farm three-quarters the size of California that requires the amount of water used in Idaho and Texas combined. Instead of eating the food produced on this farm, however, it’s loaded onto a semitruck every 20 seconds and brought straight to a landfill.

This, according to Dana Gunders, executive director...

Unilever brand enlists Amy Schumer and Academy Award-winning director Peter Farrelly behind its campaign to eliminate food waste

Food and beverage products featuring upcycled ingredients may qualify for the newly approved Upcycled Certification Standard. Slated to initially roll out in the United States in the next few months, the standard is intended to help consumers identify products that help reduce food waste.

United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI) has pledged to a host of new sustainability targets it aims to reach by the year 2030, including donating a quarter of a billion pounds of food, reaching zero landfill waste from its distribution centers, meeting a 30% reduction in distribution center energy intensity and...

Forty percent of all food produced in the US goes uneaten. Wasted food is a major contributor to multiple environmental and social problems that we face today – and most of this waste is happening right under our noses! ReFED estimates US households alone waste 76 billion pounds of food...

Dana Gunders serves as ReFED’s Executive Director. Dana is a national expert and one of the first to bring to light just how much food is wasted across the country. For almost a decade, she was a Senior Scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). She then launched Next...

One of the most exciting trends to watch for in the sustainable waste management sphere in 2021 is the rise of the private organics hauler. Call them a hauler, a composter, a waste management provider, a champion of soil; it doesn’t matter. These often small, local or regional-serving businesses have...

We look at Jan. 1 as a new chapter, a time to start fresh. However, if you find the idea of drafting up a new list of New Year’s resolutions a bit too abstract, the state Department of Environmental Conservation's 30-day wasted food challenge might be a fit, focusing on...

One-third of the world’s food is wasted, according to the United Nations (UN). That number jumps to 40 percent in the United States—enough to feed 2 billion people.

Uneaten food has dire consequences for the planet: decomposing waste releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas. According to the UN, if food waste was its...

The Wonderful Co., Los Angeles, is offering up to $1 million for a solution to the 50,000 tons of pomegranate husks generated each year for the production of Pom Wonderful juice.

Every December marks the end of the calendar and another year of egregious food waste in the United States. The holidays are an annual reminder to appreciate what we have — so why does this notion not extend to food?

There's a pervasive bit of mythology about food waste that it'll just turn into compost, even in a landfill. It's not true, but Amanda Weeks is used to the rumour. "Through some kind of magical thinking, people feel that their garbage is breaking down or getting recycled," she says, "and...

Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the renewal of the joint agency formal agreement including the Winning on Reducing Food Waste Initiative. The agreement reaffirms the agencies' commitment to improve coordination and communication...

The fresh produce waste challenge spans the entire supply chain.

While data from ReFED, a nonprofit committed to reducing U.S. food waste, indicates that 43 percent of the waste tonnage occurs at the consumer level, companies across the food supply chain create 57 percent of the waste.

Much of the problem can...

ReFED, a nonprofit committed to reducing U.S. food waste, estimates 52 million tons of food are sent to U.S. landfills annually. Another 10 million tons are discarded or left unharvested on farms.

The result is $218 billion spent on growing, processing, transporting, and disposing of food that is never eaten.

The Aspen Leadership Group is proud to partner with ReFED in the search for a Director of Development.

The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that a third of the world’s food is wasted every year. Forests are cleared, fuel is burnt and packaging in produced just to provide food which is thrown away. Meanwhile, rotting food in landfills releases more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

As a result,...

Phood, the New York City-based startup that uses a combination of weight scales, computer vision and AI to help foodservice operators reduce food waste, announced today that it has raised a $2 million Seed round of financing. The round was led by New Stack Ventures and Story Ventures. This brings...

ReFed today made two big announcements around its continued fight against food loss and waste. The U.S.-based nonprofit has launched a $10 million fundraising campaign to support projects and initiatives that reduce waste in the supply chain. Additionally, ReFed will release an online hub for food waste data and insights...

Food is the single largest line item on a food business’ profit and loss statement, yet its waste is largely unaddressed.

About 40% of wasted food is thrown out at consumer-facing businesses, and while many of them—restaurants and others—say food donation is a top priority, these early adopters are not the majority. But Rescuing Leftover Cuisine (RLC) has brought 300 businesses on board in 16 cities to help them ensure that...

Limited access to processing facilities is a top contributor to food waste, and a major hurdle that blocks mid-sized food and beverage businesses from scaling to the next level – two challenges that startup Matriark Foods is hoping to bypass with a unique business model that combines upcycling with a...

A lesson in understanding how much food is wasted in America — and what can be done about it.

White Pony Express (WPE) of Contra Costa County, California is rescuing food and diverting it to residents in need. With additional funding from ReFED’s COVID-19 Food Waste Solutions Fund, they are working to expand their current operations and create new initiatives.

We are providing access to all the sessions from Smart Kitchen Summit 2020 to Spoon Plus subscribers!

This post includes all the sessions from Smart Kitchen Summit Day Two.

The food industry is experiencing unprecedented change and disruption as we enter a new normal. Learn more at Food Edge Digital 2020, New England's leading food innovation summit, to connect with leaders in the food industry, learn about the latest trends, and gain actionable insights for business adaptation and success....

After a sharp increase in food waste following the outbreak of COVID-19, Dana Gunders, Executive Director of ReFED finds that the rate of food waste in the United States may be steadying.

The confectionery giant is working with software company Alloy to improve the efficiency of its operations by cutting down on overstock and out of stock items.

Partnership for a Healthier America and the Produce Marketing Association are expanding their COVID-19 Fresh Food Fund in a duel effort to ease food insecurity exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic and create a new market for produce that might otherwise be wasted.

World Food Day, established by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), is celebrated every year on October 16 since 1979. World Food Day 2020 likewise denotes the 75th anniversary of FAO with the theme “Grow, nourish, sustain. Together. Our actions are our future“.

Today on Point 01, Dana Gunders, Executive Director of ReFED, joins Aaron to discuss the complexity of food waste. Dana published the revolutionary report “Wasted: How America is Losing Up to 40% of Its Food from Farm to Fork to Landfill” and from there began her journey as the "the...

When Ilene Isaacs started, she didn’t really know what food rescue was; only that she wanted to help eradicate hunger. Now she’s an anti-hunger advocate with 18 years’ experience and 250 agencies relying on her work.

Tackling the food waste topic in a 30-minute panel is something of an impossible undertaking, given the size of the problem. That’s why at Day 2 of Smart Kitchen Summit 2020, myself, Apeel Sciences’ CEO James Rogers, Chiara Cecchini of the Future Food Institute, and Alexandria Coari of ReFED zeroed...

The confectionery giant is working with software company Alloy to improve the efficiency of its operations by cutting down on overstock and out-of-stock items.

Wow, what a first day at Smart Kitchen Summit. We learned that the recipe is alive and well (sorry, Tyler Florence), hacked together new kitchen products with Scott Heimendinger and saw a live debut of a new pizza robot, not to mention all the great in-person meetings, breakout sessions,...

Entrepreneurs are taking on food waste across the world in some truly creative ways — turning what many consider garbage into delicious — and nutritious — products. 

Heading into fall, this batch of career updates from the worlds of sustainability and business is somewhat top-heavy. It's not necessarily that the game of musical chairs has intensified in the C-suite, but you'll note major executive moves at big apparel, food, energy, finance and technology corporations, some of which...

If we want to reduce food waste, we need consumer-led solutions — which can be sparked by retailers. Brands, manufacturers and other food system actors get their message through to consumers if retailers open the door for them.

Consumers wasted more food in 2017 than ever before, according to a Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting review of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data. They wasted about 41 million tons of food, making up 15 percent of trash thrown out. 

 The Wonderful Company, a global company dedicated to harvesting health and happiness around the world through its iconic consumer brands, announced the launch of the Wonderful Innovation Challenge. Offering up to $1 million in funding and development resources to innovators, the competition seeks...

Campaigners against food waste say the pandemic has made some consumers in rich countries look at how much food they bin.

The Upcycled Food Association (UFA) announces its 100th Member to join since the nonprofit was formed less than a year ago: DOLE Packaged Foods, LLC. This marks the first global, consumer-facing company to become a member of UFA, an organization with the mission of reducing food waste through food upcycling....

The Wonderful Company, a global company dedicated to harvesting health and happiness around the world through its iconic consumer brands, announced the launch of the Wonderful Innovation Challenge. Offering up to $1 million in funding and development resources to innovators, the competition seeks to discover economic and environmentally friendly pilot...

When the coronavirus pandemic forced Rohini Singh to work from her house, she realized the grocery bill was likely to rise since her family of three would be mostly eating at home. She also didn't want to waste food, with shelves in some supermarkets emptying in the early days of...

The Wonderful Company is offering up to $1 million in funding and development resources to innovators that can discover economic and environmentally friendly pilot ready solutions for pomegranate husks.

 A California juice company is offering $1 million in funding and development resources for a plan to do something about the 50,000 tons of pomegranate husks the firm disposes of each year.

Over one-third of food in the U.S. is lost or wasted — about $161 billion worth every year — a problem that has only been exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. As Tuesday marks the first annual International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste, created last year by...

Over one-third of food in the U.S. is lost or wasted — about $161 billion worth every year — a problem that has only been exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. As Tuesday marks the first annual International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste,...

Aloha Harvest, a Hawaii-based nonprofit, is diverting food that would otherwise be wasted to combat food insecurity during COVID-19.

Roughly one in five Hawaii residents are food insecure, according to U.S. census data collected in July 2020.  And since the pandemic began more than 250,000 Hawaii residents have filed for unemployment, further...

The Wonderful Company announced the launch of the Wonderful Innovation Challenge. Offering up to $1 million in funding and development resources to innovators, the competition seeks to discover economic and environmentally friendly pilot ready solutions for the 50,000 tons of pomegranate husks generated each year by juicing POM Wonderful pomegranates....

The Wonderful Company, best known for its pomegranate juices, is ready to infuse some cash into creative reuses of its pomegranate biomass.  

Today, the company launched its Wonderful Innovation Challenge. The competition will offer “up to $1 million” in funding and development resources to those with “pilot ready solutions for...

The Wonderful Company announced Monday it is offering up to $1 million in funding and resources to those who come up with economic and environmentally-friendly solutions for the 50,000 tons of pomegranate husks generated by the company annually.

The nonprofit ReFED is serving as strategic advisor and managing partner for the...

This new partnership is a voluntary coalition. Companies will produce annual reports on their food waste, which they are encouraged to share publicly on the Food Waste Atlas website, The Washington Post reported.

However, this pledge is not enforceable. Even if the companies comply, they will only make a small dent...

The need to reduce food waste has escalated as an issue during COVID-19. In response to current realities, consumers have raced to grocery stores to stockpile food, often buying in surplus. Now, we’re seeing food’s perishability firsthand.

This issue, in part, concerns packaging. Many consumers are taking precautions against the virus...

After a sharp increase in food waste following the outbreak of COVID-19, Dana Gunders, Executive Director of ReFED finds that the rate of food waste in the United States may be steadying.

Prior to the pandemic, ReFED, a nonprofit committed to reducing food waste, found that 63 million...

When it comes to food waste, we can all do a better job of finishing the groceries we buy, especially fresh produce. However, food manufacturers are also big contributors to the problem, which is why almost 200 brands made a pledge to cut their food waste in half...

When it comes to food waste, we can all do a better job of finishing the groceries we buy, especially fresh produce. However, food manufacturers are also big contributors to the problem, which is why almost 200 brands made a pledge to cut their food waste in half in the next...

Entrepreneurs are taking on food waste across the world in some truly creative ways—turning what many consider garbage into delicious—and nutritious—products. 

Their efforts are part of a growing trend to battle one of the world’s most pressing environmental and agricultural problems. According to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, 1.3 billion...

Imagine a protein-packed snack made from leftover chicken bits. Tea made from avocado pits. Or seasoning your burger with extracts derived from mushroom stems instead of salt. It may sound funky, but it could be part of the future of food. 

Societies around the world have always found innovative ways to...

There's a time and a place for granola bars, but it isn't at lunch. Yes, we know how convenient it is to quickly munch one in between folding laundry, setting up the next Zoom kindergarten session, and finishing up that sales report. The midday meal was often overlooked before the coronavirus...

There's a time and a place for granola bars, but it isn't at lunch. Yes, we know how convenient it is to quickly munch one in between folding laundry, setting up the next Zoom kindergarten session, and finishing up that sales report. The midday meal was often overlooked...

Nearly 200 food suppliers, including some of the largest producers in the world, have pledged to cut their food waste in half by 2030.

The companies, which make such products as Rice Krispies cereal, Hellmann’s mayonnaise and Spam, have joined the 10x20x30 initiative, a global effort to slash the staggering amount...

The companies, who make such products as Rice Krispies cereal, Hellmann's mayonnaise and Spam, have joined the 10x20x30 initiative, a global effort to reduce the amount of food that is discarded every year, the World Resources Institute, which supports the program, announced Wednesday. The big food makers - a list...

The food waste agreement is anchored by ReFED, the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF), and the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP.) PCC announced its food waste reduction target in 2018 and the new voluntary effort is meant to bolster progress towards the end-of-decade deadline, the same target established by the U.S....

A lesson in understanding how much food is wasted in America — and what can be done about it.

When COVID-19 hit the world early this year, buffets were temporarily shut down. You can imagine why: rows and rows of food stations that bring people in close proximity to each other. Strangers sharing serving spoons, handles, and utensils. The CDC made it clear that restaurants had to avoid any...

Panelists at the Food Recovery Forum's session, "Designing Solutions to Fight Food Waste and Hunger During COVID and Beyond" discussed what it will take to begin taking items destined for the landfill and feed those who face food insecurity. The global COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the issue.

“In the wake of...

Waste Expo Together Online’s “Rising Leaders Talk Trash” session on Sept. 14 featured a panel of next generation leaders to discuss their perspective on where the waste industry is headed. The session was moderated by Big Truck Rental President Zach Martin.

Including speakers Josh Mann, public sector solutions manager for  View Press