Reduce Wasted Food and Enhance Your Business Culture

Reducing wasted food is about building a responsible business that prioritizes its people, customers, and the planet.

Free Assistance to Reduce Wasted Food for New York Businesses

Our customized business assistance programs helps you build a workplace that values sustainability, fosters happier employees, and engages customers who share your commitment to making a difference.

Who uses the assistance?

New York businesses and institutions of all sizes—such as grocery stores, restaurants, event centers, correctional facilities, colleges, universities, K-12 schools—along with municipalities, organics recycling facilities (like composting and anaerobic digestion), food relief organizations, and others, are all eligible for assistance.

In 2022, New York introduced the Food Donation and Food Scrap Recycling Law. Since then, we’ve served nearly 200 New York businesses.

“We worked with CET to get some technical assistance, product suggestions, and guidance for how to get an indoor compost system up and running (outdoor wasn’t working because of bears!), and CET’s suggestions formed the basis for a grant application, where we were awarded $5,000 to get a system up and running and hire a student to assist in operations and outreach.”

SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse.

Sue Fassler

Director of Sustainability

“CET’s technical assistance helped Harney & Sons process a healthy mix of organic materials: spent tea from their bottling plant, a smaller percentage of off-specification and expired tea from their production facility, and food scraps sourced from various locations, such as their employee break room. This operation is expected to redirect over one ton (2,000 lbs.) of organic material per week from disposal, instead transforming it into a nutrient-dense soil amendment.”

Harney & Sons Fine Teas

“We are currently waiting to hear back on a recently submitted application, but I believe we have a strong chance of winning a $50,000 grant which will go towards the purchase and site construction of an in-vessel composter for our campus. The CET consultant’s assessments helped in that process.”

SUNY Binghamton

Martin Larocca

Sustainability Coordinator

Real Stories, Real Impact

The results are undeniable. Businesses that partner with CET typically see a 30% reduction in wasted food, translating to stronger community impact. Not only that, but with our no-cost assistance 9 out of 10 businesses experience cost neutrality or cost savings after implementing wasted food solutions.

With CET’s ongoing support, these businesses continue to thrive, showing that sustainable practices aren’t just good for the planet—they’re great for business too. Contact us today to learn how your business can benefit from these sustainable practices.

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Our Approach: Personal and Practical

Each business is unique, which is why our assistance is tailored to your specific needs. We focus on hands-on, practical strategies that can be seamlessly integrated into your existing operations.

Why it matters?

business assistance to reduce food waste

When your business takes steps to reduce wasted food, you’re doing more than improving operations—you’re fostering a sense of responsibility among staff and customers alike.

Reducing wasted food ensures your business complies with New York State’s Food Donation and Food Scraps Recycling law, avoiding penalties, while engaging employees in sustainability efforts strengthens team morale and job satisfaction. By showing your commitment to sustainability, you also attract conscious customers and build lasting loyalty.

FAQs:

Will my business get in trouble for not recycling food scraps?

No, CET is a non-regulatory entity that helps businesses and other organizations comply with New York’s mandatory Food Donation and Food Scraps Recycling Law, improve operations, and reduce the amount of food going into the trash. We’re here to listen to your needs, answer questions, and help you achieve your goals.

Why is reducing wasted food important in New York?

Effective January 1, 2022, the NYS Food Donation and Food Scrap Recycling Law requires businesses and institutions that generate at least 2 tons of wasted food per week to donate excess edible food and recycle all remaining food scraps if they are are within 25 miles of an organics recycling facility, such as a compost site, anaerobic digester facility, or animal feed operation.

What are the benefits of reducing wasted food in New York?

Reducing wasted food enhances your business’s reputation and contribution to the community. Also, by minimizing wasted food from the start or donating surplus food, businesses can reduce disposal costs and potentially qualify for tax benefits.

How it works?

→ Fill out the form

→ receive assistance

→ CET helps implement measures

→ Receive a report

→ get Highlight from cET

We offer customized solutions tailored to your business’s specific needs, including on-site visits, virtual consultations, and ongoing support.

FAQs:

Who is eligible to receive the assistance?

New York businesses—including grocery stores, restaurants, event centers, colleges, universities, K-12 schools, municipalities, organics recycling facilities (such as composting and anaerobic digestion), food relief organizations, and others—are eligible for assistance.

This applies to both businesses or institutions subject to New York’s Food Donation and Food Scraps Recycling Law, as well as those that are not.

How much will assistance cost my business?

Our assistance is available at no cost to businesses, municipalities, and others in New York. This program is funded by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and delivered under contract by CET.

Do you provide on-site assistance?

Depending on the organization’s needs, we can provide a virtual visit, on-site visit, or assistance via phone and email.

What happens during a site visit?

During the site-visit (in-person or virtually), a Specialist will learn more about your operations and develop a list of potential solutions. For businesses, this can include a review of your current waste contract to identify potential opportunities for efficiency and cost savings. For organic recycling facilities, this could include a review of operations to determine means to improve or expand operations. After the site visit, we will conduct research on your behalf and deliver a report with customized recommendations for your organization, along with direct assistance to implement one or more of our recommendations.

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Events

These events offer valuable insights, resources, and strategies to help businesses reduce waste, improve sustainability, and comply with the state’s waste reduction initiatives.

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New york resources

Learn, download & be a sustainable partner by sharing resources to connect businesses with assistance to reduce waste, improve their bottom line, employee job satisfaction, and respond to customer demands for sustainable practices.

Video Guide

Publications

Guide

Reduce Wasted Food and Enhance Your Business Culture

Free Assistance to Reduce Wasted Food for New York Businesses

Who uses the assistance?

SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse.

Director of Sustainability

Harney & Sons Fine Teas

SUNY Binghamton

Sustainability Coordinator

Real Stories, Real Impact

Our Approach: Personal and Practical

FAQs:

FAQs:

Get Assistance

Get Assistance

New york resources

sustainability solutions summit

Steeped in Sustainability: The composting journey of a tea manufacturer

Rethink Food Waste NY Food Scrap Separation Training Video

How New York Businesses Can Benefit from Food Recovery: Part II

How New York Businesses Can Benefit from Food Recovery: Part I

Waste Deep New York: Wasted Food Opportunities for Your Business

Compost Site Operators Workshop in Winthrop, NY

Compost Site Operators Workshop in Ithaca, NY

Compost Site Operators Workshop in Kerhonkson, NY

Food scrap separation training

P2P – Peer to peer magazine

NY shareable graphic

NY Instagram graphic

Sustainable Partners · Rethink Food Waste NY

Publications

Waste Reduction Tips for NY Colleges & Universities

NYS FOOD DONATION AND FOOD SCRAPS RECYCLING LAW

Food Donation and Food Scraps Recycling Law

Bans and beyond designing and implementing organic waste bans and mandatory organics recycling laws

Northeast Anaerobic Digester Accelerator – Food Waste Digestion Insights

A Virtuous Cycle: Spotlight on Feeding Westchester