Many corporate cafeterias, colleges & universities, healthcare facilities, and other businesses and institutions contract with outside food service providers to manage dining operations. With recent closures, these entities are recognizing the decrease in food orders and purchasing while understanding the growing need to donate food to the local community. Green Biz recently described how one food service provider, Sodexo, is helping clients maximize food recovery and reduce unnecessary waste.

Over the past few weeks, Sodexo has seen a notable increase in the amount of edible food recovered from the businesses and institutions they serve. For example, one corporate office rescued 360 pounds of food in one week, compared to only 2,000 pounds over nearly all of the previous year. In Massachusetts, UMass Boston was left with a few pallets of fresh produce and dairy products when the campus shut down many of their operations. Rather than allow the food to go to waste, Sodexo associates and the Food Recovery Network (FRN) helped UMass Boston Dining Services connect with Food for Free, a Boston-area food rescue organization that redistributes surplus, edible food to food banks, soup kitchens, and other local community organizations.

RecyclingWorks in Massachusetts (RecyclingWorks) can help your business or institution connect with local organizations rescuing surplus food. To speak with an expert, call our hotline: (888) 254-5525 or email us at info@recyclingworksma.com.