Can you recycle food? The idea may sound unappealing, but it is a growing movement. You can’t just toss those pastries leftover from the breakfast meeting into the recycling bin, but there are many ways to prevent food waste by redistributing it to people in need. This is what activists call food rescue.
A National Problem
According to the NRDC (National Resource Defense Council), forty percent of the food in America is wasted, making it the top item tossed into landfills. When we go to the grocery store, we expect unblemished apples, perfect heads of lettuce and bread fresh from the bakery. When we cater office events, we order enough so that everyone has plenty, even if the result is too many leftovers that sit around the conference room afterward. It often gets tossed when the housekeeping staff comes in.
Salvaging Good Food
Now, growing numbers of bakeries, restaurants, and grocery stores are salvaging those bruised apples or soon to be expired crackers and redistributing them to food pantries, soup kitchens or other groups that serve the poor. If you manage an office or some other non-food related business, you can still help by donating your leftover event food. You may not know what to do with that leftover chicken Alfredo, but cooks in soup kitchens often receive these types of donations and know how to be creative with them.
What Your Business Can Do
If you want to donate your leftover office food to a local food pantry, homeless shelter or another group, call them first and make sure that they can use and store what you have to offer. Don’t send the ice cream left over from the summer company picnic to a food pantry with no freezer. If you hold a high volume of events that result in a lot of leftover food, contact an organization like the Food Donation Connection. This organization works with the National Restaurant Association to gather and redistribute food from all over the world.
Participating in food efforts can generate good word of mouth for your company because it shows you are concerned about the community. If your business would like to participate in food rescue, take some time to plan what your employees will do with large amounts of food to make it a regular and easy practice.
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