Wasted Food Assistance Toolkit

These resources were developed by CET under contract to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) as part of MassDEP’s RecyclingWorks in Massachusetts program. Although these documents reference the state of Massachusetts, they are public documents and may be applicable region-wide.

Food Waste Estimator Tool
RecyclingWorks has compiled industry data from published reports and studies, which can be used as guidance for facilities with little to no current wasted food diversion programs in place. Select the industry category that best fits your business or institution to start estimating your wasted food today.

How to Reduce Food Waste
A resource for businesses and institutions with tips and guidelines to save money, improve labor efficiency, and reduce waste

Food Waste Diversion Guide For Restaurants
Guidance for starting or expanding a wasted food diversion program at a restaurant, including tips for evaluating current operations, designing the program, staff training, and monitoring and maintaining the program.

AmpleHarvest.org
Ample Harvest is a nationwide resource that helps reduce wasted food and reduce hunger by connecting gardeners with excess produce to nearby food pantries accepting donations.

BioCycle
BioCycle is a great resource for organics recovery information through its conferences, websites, and publications.

EPA’s Sustainable Management of Food
Choose your state or EPA region from the map or search by state to find EPA regional wasted food prevention and diversion efforts.

Feeding America
Feeding America provides a directory of more than 200 food banks nationally, as well as research and reports on hunger across the United States.

Food Rescue US
Food Rescue US is made up of individuals and nonprofit organizations that provide to food-insecure individuals and families.

Food Waste Policy Gap Analysis and Inventory: MidAtlantic, Southeast, and Great Lakes Regions: 
CET assisted the Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic, and BioCycle Connect in preparing these three regional reports for NRDC to provide an overview of existing food waste-related policies and opportunities for furthering food waste reduction in states within each region.

Food Waste Reduction Alliance: Best Practices and Emerging Solutions Guide
This toolkit was developed to help guide companies through the basic steps in wasted food reduction. Included are sections on how to get started, as well as suggestions for identifying a range of solutions.

Funding Opportunities for Organics & Compost Related Businesses in the Northeast
Northeast Recycling Council (NERC) compiled the funding opportunities for organics and compost-related businesses from state and federal agencies in the Northeast; CT, DE, ME, MD, MA, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, and VT.

Further With Food
This virtual resource center offers businesses, government entities, investors, NGOs, academics, and individuals a platform to find and share information about proven solutions and approaches to reduce the volume of surplus food generated, feed hungry people, and divert food scraps.

Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic
FLPC has published reports, legal guides, and fact sheets on a variety of topics related to food law and policy. They partnered with CET to develop the first set of fact sheets on donation (date labeling laws, liability protection, tax incentives for businesses) for Massachusetts and have since replicated them for many other states.

Natural Resources Defense Council
The NRDC has done comprehensive analyses on the importance of the wasted food issue and has developed many resources to address the problem. The Food Matters project at NRDC partners with cities to provide technical expertise, best practices, and other tools to help them achieve reductions in wasted food. Resources include a policy and program toolkit, strategic communications and partnership guide, and more.

ReFED
This collaboration of businesses, nonprofits, foundations, and government leaders is dedicated to reducing wasted food in the U.S. by 50 percent by 2030. In March 2016, ReFED released the Roadmap to Reduce U.S. Food Waste, an economic study of wasted food aimed at providing a feasible guide for action. It features 27 of the most cost-effective ways to reduce wasted food based on societal economic value, business profit potential, and other non-financial impacts.
ReFED’s Food Waste Innovator Database maps commercial and nonprofit entities that are working in the food waste innovation sector. The 350+ entities are mapped by geography and solution type.

Save the Food
The Natural Resources Defense Council has partnered with the Ad Council to develop a host of resources to help communities and individuals address the important issue of wasted food.

Sustainable America’s Food Rescue Database
A directory of organizations across the United States that rescue, glean, transport, prepare, and distribute food to the needy in their communities.
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The Compost Navigator
This BioCycle tool helps locate composting facilities, anaerobic digestion sites, and organics collection services near you.

The National Restaurant Association’s ConServe
This program provides information to help restaurants reduce wasted food and donate edible food. The website has a Best Practices section with tips for reducing wasted food; it also has a number of “how to” videos for restauranteurs. The Tools & Solutions section has information on donating food, zero waste, and more.