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.
Wasted food resources for Connecticut businesses, municipalities, organic recyclers, food relief organizations, and others.
Free Assistance to Reduce Wasted Food for Connecticut Businesses
Our customized business assistance programs help 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?
Connecticut 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.
“To be honest, I was skeptical at first but food waste diversion was so inexpensive to set up, and the kids quickly learned to separate edible food and food scraps from other waste. I’m so glad we’ve implemented this program because of its environmental impacts”
Beecher Road Elementary
Kitchen Manager
“One of the defining aspects of our culture at the
ShopRite of Milford is supporting our local community
and helping our neighbors in need. That commitment
includes fighting hunger and improving our environment
to make our community a better place to live, work and
raise a family. This is true not only at the ShopRite of
Milford, but at every ShopRite store.”
ShopRite of Milford
Owner
“The implementation opened our eyes to problems that we have since been able to fix, and CET’s assistance was tremendously valuable.”
Little Pub
Owner
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.
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 Connecticut 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:
Reducing waste saves businesses money and helps address the state’s waste crisis, as waste disposal options are becoming more limited and expensive. By minimizing waste, reusing materials, and recycling, organizations can avoid higher disposal costs and contribute to sustainability efforts.
No, CET is a non-regulatory organization. They focus on helping businesses comply with Connecticut’s recycling laws and reduce waste, offering guidance without penalties.
Yes, CET helps businesses at any stage of their recycling efforts, offering realistic recommendations to improve waste management and environmental compliance.
CET can provide advanced strategies to further reduce waste, offering new resources and ideas to elevate existing recycling programs.
We offer customized solutions tailored to your business’s specific needs, including on-site visits, virtual consultations, and ongoing support.
FAQs:
Connecticut 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.
Assistance is provided at no cost to Connecticut businesses through a contract with the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP).
Depending on the organization’s needs, we can provide a virtual visit, on-site visit, or assistance via phone and email.
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.
CET can assist with recycling common materials and hard-to-recycle items like electronics, fluorescent bulbs, pallets, and food waste, including composting and donation options.
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.
Connecticut’s Wasted Food Solutions
Wasted food resources for Connecticut businesses, municipalities, organic recyclers, food relief organizations, and others.
Easy, practical wasted food solutions for Connecticut businesses.
Resources For Sustainable Partners
Copy & paste resources to connect businesses with assistance to reduce waste, improve their bottom line, employee job satisfaction, and respond to customer demands for sustainable practices.
Connecticut’s Wasted Food Solutions: A Collaborative Effort by CET
Easy, Practical Solutions
To learn more or get started, contact our hotline at 888-410-3827 or email ReduceWasteCT@cetonline.org.
CET Wasted Food Videos · Connecticut
Watch curated videos on how to track waste, repurpose surplus, and reduce waste, leading to creative reuse and potential savings. Read the Greenwich Food Matters Challenge Case Study here.
Connecticut Spotlights
Food makes up 35% of all waste landfilled in Connecticut. Prevention, donation, and recycling are integral to improving public health and achieving climate action goals.
Learn how CT businesses and institutions are working together to reduce wasted food & how to join!
Connecticut 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.
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Greenwich Food Matters Challenge
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Frequently Asked Questions
How much will assistance cost my organization?
Our assistance is available at no-cost to businesses in Connecticut. CET is under contract with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) to provide this support.
Do you provide on-site assistance?
Depending on the business needs, we can provide a site visit or assistance via phone and email. This includes businesses or institutions that are subject to Connecticut’s mandatory recycling or commercial organics recycling laws. Contact us so we can assess your specific needs today!
How do I get started with assistance?
Contact one of our recycling experts at 888-410-3827opens phone dialer or click here. We’ll ask you about your organization, the materials you throw away, and your waste reduction or diversion goals. Depending on your needs, our customer care professionals may connect you to resources immediately or schedule a site visit with an Environmental Specialist whenever it is most convenient for you.
What happens during a site visit?
During the site visit, an Environmental Specialist will learn more about your operations and develop a list of potential solutions. They can also review your current waste removal contract to identify potential opportunities for efficiency and cost savings. After the site visit, we will conduct research on your behalf and deliver a report with customized recommendations for your organization.
Will my business get in trouble for not recycling?
No, CET is a non-regulatory entity that helps businesses and institutions comply with Connecticut’s mandatory recycling and commercial organics recycling laws and reduce the amount of materials going into the trash. We’re here to listen to your needs, answer questions, and help you achieve your goals.
How can I get added to the list of service providers in your database?
Contact us by calling 888-410-3827 or emailing to be added to our list. As the website is built, we can add you to a searchable online database. CET has decades of experience supporting the establishment and growth of service providers that are doing the hands-on work of preventing, rescuing, and diverting wasted food. Please feel free to reach out to learn more about how we can support your goals and help your customers.
What expertise do you have?
CET has over 45 years of experience helping businesses and municipalities to reduce and properly manage waste. We have implemented business recycling programs across the Northeast, including the award-winning RecyclingWorks program in Massachusetts. CET looks forward to assisting your business in your waste reduction, recycling, and composting efforts.
Will it cost a lot of money to start a recycling or composting program?
Waste reduction activities may require a financial investment to implement, but these efforts can help organizations save money over time, improve employee job satisfaction, and respond to customer demands for sustainable practices. CET is a neutral party that can also help businesses comply with Connecticut waste laws.
Why is reducing waste in Connecticut important?
There are many benefits to reducing waste. By not producing waste in the first place, or by donating surplus food and other materials to give them a second life, businesses can realize cost savings. Additionally, Connecticut is facing a waste crisis as waste-to-energy facilities are shutting down, leaving fewer locations within the state to dispose of materials. Increasingly, there will be a focus on sending trash to out-of-state landfills, which will cost more money to handle. Reducing waste, reuse, and recycling can all support cost avoidance associated with these changes.
We’re not doing a very good job recycling, will you still help us?
Environmental Specialists are ready to meet your business wherever you are right now and help you take the first step in reducing your environmental impact. We strive to provide unbiased, actionable, and realistic recommendations to help your organization maintain compliance with existing disposal bans and achieve any additional waste diversion goals.
We’re already doing a great job recycling, why would we need help?
We can help take your organization to the next level and will recommend unique approaches to divert even more waste from disposal. If you’re not sure, consider joining our mailing list to learn about new resources, business success stories, and upcoming events.
We already received assistance, can you still help us?
We know that your business needs will evolve. We always try to provide as much assistance as possible during our first visit and will continue to support your organization afterward. If we cannot conduct an additional site visit, we are always happy to provide assistance over the phone and through email.
What materials can you help us recycle?
We pride ourselves in being an industry leader when it comes to preventing and diverting a wide range of materials from disposal. In addition to the more commonly recycled materials such as paper, cardboard, and containers, we have expertise in hard-to-recycle materials such as electronics, fluorescent light bulbs, pallets, and construction materials. We also specialize in all forms of food recovery, from reducing food waste and donating surplus food, to recycling food scraps through animal feed, composting, and anaerobic digestion.
Call our hotline 888-410-3827 or email to learn more.