The United Nations and other leading international organizations announced the Food Loss and Waste Accounting and Reporting Standard (FLW Standard), a global standard that will help measure food loss and waste. This standard includes global definitions and reporting requirements for countries and companies to encourage the accuracy of food loss metrics and reports. These standards encourage…
LeanPath recently posted “7 Eye-Opening Food Waste Videos to Share with Your Team,” on their Food Waste Focus Blog. LeanPath, helps facilities monitor, track, and reduce wasted food using tracking software, data analysis, and custom waste alerts. One video, “Food Waste: A Story of Excess,” highlights the statistics around food waste. For example, in the…
A recent PBS NewsHour story discusses the problem of discarded textiles and highlights the companies that are starting to make changes. Textile recycling has a significant impact on reducing carbon emissions, yet Americans are still throwing away 13 million tons of textiles each year. Some retailers incentivize customers to recycle their clothing at their stores by…
ConServe, a national restaurant association program, published a Food Donation Tip Sheet. This program encourages businesses to start or continue environmental initiatives. The Food Donation Tip Sheet includes information on food safety procedures, packing the food properly, and tracking what you donate. RecyclingWorks also published a Food Donation Guidance for Massachusetts businesses. This guidance outlines…
In March 2016, Tufts University Dining, staff, faculty, students, and Food for Free partnered together to create the Tufts Food Rescue Collaborative. This collaborative aims to minimize food waste and address food insecurity in their local community. Food for Free rescues surplus food and delivers it to their Hotel Family Meals program. Tufts dining is…
MeetingsNet published an article outlining resources for donating excess food from events. These tips include finding a local food bank, the ReFED’s Roadmap to Reduce U.S. Food Waste economic study and action plan, and applications such as Spoiler Alert that connect food donors and food recipients. Learn more about food donation at RecyclingWorks’ workshop, Getting…
Practice Greenhealth announced its partnership with Feeding America to encourage food donation from the health care sector. Practice Greenhealth is a resource for the health care sector to access and learn about environmental solutions. The nonprofit membership organization partnered with Feeding America, a nonprofit hunger relief organization of 200 food banks nationwide, to reduce food…
The Guardian recently highlighted web and mobile services that make food recovery easier and more efficient. These services help connect surplus food with businesses and organizations that can distribute it. For example, applications, such as Spoiler Alert and Zero Percent, provide alerts or mobile apps to sell or donate surplus food. Read more about Spoiler…
CBS This Morning interviewed Emily Broad Leib, Director of the Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic (FLPC), about date labels on food. Forty percent of food in the US goes to waste, and much of that waste can be attributed to confusing date labels. In the CBS News’ interview, Emily discusses the confusing and inconsistent date…
Spoiler Alert, an online platform that encourages businesses to donate their surplus food and organic waste, recently highlighted Daily Table’s successful donation on their User Spotlight Series. Daily Table, a not for profit grocery store located in Dorchester, MA, uses Spoiler Alert to attain donations and special buying opportunities. Daily Table creates healthy prepared meals…
Congressman Jim McGovern spoke on the house floor this month to the importance of reducing food waste. He mentioned the estimated $218 billion per year lost due to the growing, transporting, and disposing of food that is never eaten. WWLP reports on the Congressman McGovern’s statement and the efforts of organizations and institutions in Massachusetts…
This month, EPA New England awarded the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) and the Center for EcoTechnology (CET) Environmental Merit Awards. Since 1970, Environmental Merit Awards have recognized individuals and groups in New England for working to protect and improve New England’s environment. The MassDEP, along with corresponding agencies in Connecticut and Vermont, was…
The EPA’s New England Beacon reports on the impact Café de Boston and other restaurants have by joining the EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge (FRC). This May Café de Boston, joined the FRC. The buffet and prepared foods eatery is on track to divert 30 tons of food waste from the landfill this year. The Environmental…
The Foodservice Packaging Recovery Toolkit is a free resource and guide on recovering foodservice packaging that was launched on April 21, 2016. Foodservice packaging includes items such as boxes, bags, and cups. The Foodservice Packaging Institute is a North American trade association for foodservice packaging industry. Within the institute, the Paper Recovery Alliance, and Plastics…
Medical Academic and Scientific Community Organization (MASCO) reports on the impacts of the Massachusetts Commercial Organics Waste Ban on their members. MASCO, a nonprofit organization for Boston’s Longwood Medical and Academic area (LMA), strives to benefit those who live, work, study or receive care in the area. MASCO members have increased their food waste diversion…
The Huffington Post reports on the Food Recovery Network’s role in reducing the amount of wasted food on college campuses. The article cites RecyclingWorks’ Food Waste Estimation Guide in calculating that an average student living on campus throws away 141 pounds of uneaten food annually. Because of the large volume of wasted food on college…
Renewable Energy from Waste reports on Stop & Shop Supermarket’s Green Energy Facility in Freetown, Massachusetts, which opened April 15. The Green Energy Facility will accept wasted food from the 212 New England Stop & Shop stores and convert this food into energy. The Green Energy Facility estimates that 34,000 tons of inedible food can…
Berkshire Community College (BCC) in Pittsfield, Massachusetts placed 1st in the state and 5th in the nation for recycling rates in the RecycleMania Tournament! The college earned this title with a 75% recycling rate. The recycling rate was measured by the percentage of total waste that was recycled and composted over the course of the…
The Eagle Tribune published an Earth Day article by Martin Suuberg, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. Suuberg’s article highlights partnerships and collaborations to promote goals and creative solutions for environmental protection. He provides the example of Massachusetts Clean Energy Partnership for Drinking Water and Wastewater Treatment Facilities. This partnership includes the Greater…
Practice Greenhealth is hosting a five-part series, “Feed People, Not Landfills,” on reducing food waste in hospitals. Practice Greenhealth, a nonprofit membership organization, is a source for environmental solutions in the healthcare sector, including webinars, eLearning, and educational programs. The five webinars focus on food waste assessment, prevention, donation, and management in the health care…
The Recorder reports on one of the first Massachusetts permitted, on-farm composting operation, Martin’s Compost Farm. Robert Martin’s farm was permitted by Mass DEP in 1987. In 2014, Adam Martin, son of Robert, was motivated to take over the farm because of the positive environmental and community benefits of composting. Today, Martin’s Compost Farm is…
BioCycle Magazine reports on Food Recovery Networks success on college campuses. The Food Recovery Network (FRN), a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit, works to fight food waste and hunger in America. Spanning across 40 states and 171 chapters on college campuses, the Food Recovery Network has donated 1.1 million pounds of food. Every semester thousands of…
The Environmental Council of the States (ECOS) recently featured the Massachusetts Commercial Organics Waste Ban in a Success Story Video. ECOS is an association that helps state agencies to improve human and environmental health in the US. Massachusetts is one of the first states in the nation to implement an organics disposal ban. The ban,…
Rethink Food Waste Through Economics and Data (ReFED) recently published A Roadmap to Reduce U.S. Food Waste by 20 Percent. ReFED, a collaboration between more than 30 businesses, nonprofits, foundations and government leaders, was founded in 2015 to create the first national study and action plan for reducing food waste in the U.S. The roadmap…
Whole Foods announced last week that it will start selling ‘ugly produce’ (vegetables and fruit that do not conform to the company’s aesthetic standards) in select stores beginning in April. They are partnering with Imperfect Produce, a company launched last summer that sells bruised, blemished, or misshapen fruits and vegetables to food retailers at a discounted rate,…
GreenBiz reports a new collaboration to research and identify strategies for reducing food waste known as Rethink Food Waste through Economics and Data (RFED). ReFED is led by a group of businesses and foundations including Sodexo, Deloitte Consulting, MissionPoint Capital Partners, and the Closed Loop Fund. ReFED research has identified $165 billion in annual lost revenue in the…
Food Tank recently reported on the not-for-profit grocery store, The Daily Table, and their mission to reduce food waste while alleviating the problem of food insecurity. The Daily Table makes healthy foods affordable by selling products that are close to or past their display code dates at a discounted price point. The Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic has created a fact…
In February, Food Engineering Magazine published an article on tactics that food and beverage manufacturers are taking to reduce waste. Food and beverage processors are using a wide variety of methods to reduce waste; these efforts help meet company’s sustainability goals while offseting manufacturing costs. The article includes some tips from RecyclingWorks for reducing waste.…
In December, The Greater Boston Food Bank (GBFB), and Lovin’ Spoonfuls, announced their plans to minimize food waste while increasing food security in eastern Massachusetts. The two organizations are collaborating to distribute excess perishable food to member agencies. The Greater Boston Food Bank, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is a non-profit hunger-relief organization that serves more…
The Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic (HFLPC) recently produced a video, EXPIRED? Food Waste in America, on how inconsistent date labeling laws contribute to the problem of wasted food. This video expands on the issue identified in the Date Labeling Fact Sheet that HFLPC produced for the Food Donation Guidance for Massachusetts businesses on…
UMass Amherst recently published a report on a residential compost pilot program in one of their dormitories. A trash sort in the fall of 2014 determined that more than a quarter of the waste from the North Apartments was food waste. The original pilot in one dorm, North D, was completed during the fall of…
The Cambridge Day reports on how Food For Free has helped rescue and distribute 1.6 million pounds of surplus food since 1981. Food donation is one strategy that businesses can use to comply with the Massachusetts Commercial Organics Waste Ban. The Good Samaritan Food Donation Act provides liability protection to businesses that donate surplus food. Businesses that…
The Boston Globe reports on BJ’s Wholesale Club’s partnership with Feeding America to help donate surplus food to those in need. BJ’s locations work with 45 local food banks in 15 states including the Greater Boston Food Bank to donate fresh produce, baked goods, dairy products, meat, and fish. GBFB helps to feed as many…
With the help of the Food Recovery Network, students have been fighting food waste and hunger by donating food from college campuses to food rescue organizations. Nine colleges in Massachusettes have Food Recovery Network chapters. The newest additions in the state are Olin College of Engineering in Needham and Gordon College in Wehnam. Students can apply on the…
Wicked Local Cambridge reports that Lesley University received a 2015 Food Recovery Challenge Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The award, a “Regional Food Recovery Achievement Certificate”, recognizes Lesley University as a leader in food waste diversion. Lesley partners with the food rescue organization, Food For Free, to donate surplus food to those…
The Intercontinental Hotel in Boston has a range of green initiatives that include everything from an extensive recycling program to a rooftop apiary. Recently, the hotel changed over 550 reading lamps in their guestrooms and contacted the RecyclingWorks hotline for advice on what to do with the old fixtures. RecyclingWorks connected the Intercontinental Hotel with…
Clark University recently received two awards from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognizing their outstanding waste reduction initiatives. Clark was the only awardee to receive awards for both the Food Recovery Challenge and WasteWise programs in the same year. The EPA awarded Clark with Honorable Mentions in the Narrative Categories for the Food Recovery…
Biocycle Magazine published a forecast for food waste trends in 2016 written by Andrew Shakman of LeanPath. Last year the conversation about wasted food moved into the mainstream with top chefs and the media covering food waste topics. In a significant milestone, the USDA and EPA announced the goal of reducing food waste in the…
The Falmouth Enterprise reported on the Barnstable County Food Waste Subcommittee’s efforts to increase food waste composting on the Cape. The committee, formed in response to the Commercial Organics Waste Ban which took effect in October of 2014, is trying to increase the number of compost sites that accept food waste. Currently, there are two…
The EPA is currently accepting nominations for the 2015 Environmental Merit Awards in New England. Award categories for environmental achievement in the last year include individuals, businesses, government entities, and other organizations. There is also an award for lifetime achievement. Nominations must be submitted online by February 12, 2016. RecyclingWorks in Massachusetts is a recycling…
The MassDEP posted an updated Organics Study and Action Plan in January 2016 which replaces an earlier version posted in January 2014. This plan outlines the programs and initiatives underway to support the goal of reducing food waste disposal in Massachusetts by 35% by 2020. The recent version of the plan includes new initiatives and…
For participants in the EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge (FRC) and WasteWise programs, annual 2015 data and 2016 goals are due March 31, 2016. Participants in either program must submit their 2015 data and 2016 goals in order to stay active and maintain eligibility to receive awards. Enter data and goals by accessing your account on…
The Massachusetts Surplus Property Program helps connect extra equipment, materials, and supplies to entities that can put them to use. State departments periodically declare surplus property which is offered first to other state entities free of charge. After 30 days, any property that has not been claimed is offered to cities and towns for a…
The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) is accepting applications for the Commonwealth Organics-to-Energy Program. The funding supports technologies that convert source-separated organic waste into electricity, thermal energy, or compressed gas for vehicle fuel. Applications are currently being accepted for three types of projects: Implementation and Pilot Project Construction Funding. Due March 22. Feasibility Studies. Due…
Last fall, the USDA and EPA posted a video about their goal to reduce wasted food in the US by fifty percent by 2030. In the video, Tom Vilsack (Agriculture Secretary) and Gina McCarthy (EPA) discuss the issue of wasted food and the importance of connecting surplus food to those who need it. Currently, nearly…
BioCycle Magazine recently featured the organics diversion program at Deerfield Academy. This independent boarding school has been diverting compostable waste from their dining hall for years. Recently, the school has been expanding efforts to divert organic waste across the campus as part of an effort to overhaul the campus-wide recycling program. The school calls this…
The Telegram reports on Food Recovery Network chapters at the College of the Holy Cross, Becker College, and Nichols College. The Food Recovery Network (FRN) was founded in 2011 by students at the University of Maryland who recognized how much dining hall food was being wasted. Currently, FRN has more than 150 chapters at colleges…
The results of the 2015 GameDay Recycling Challenge have been posted. MassLive reports that UMass Amherst received first and second place awards for their recycling efforts. UMass students collected recycling at three tailgating parties at McGuirk Alumni Stadium this fall. UMass recycled 18.693 pounds of materials. They placed first in the Mid-American Conference for…
The Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic has updated the tax incentive fact sheet for Massachusetts businesses that donate food. These updates incorporate recent changes to federal tax code that increase the incentive for businesses to donate edible food to social service organizations. The updated fact sheet is available on the Food Donation Guidance for…
In November, The Take Away interviewed Ashley Stanley of Lovin’ Spoonfuls, a Boston-based food rescue organization, about how food donation can help reduce food waste. Lovin’ Spoonfuls collects food that businesses would otherwise throw away and distributes to social service organizations. The interview highlights how local and state waste bans, like the Massachusetts Commercial Organics…
A blog post by the Harvard Law School’s Food Law and Policy Clinic details recent changes the tax code around food donations. Changes to the tax code allow for businesses other than C-Corporations to receive an enhanced tax deduction when making qualifying food donations, and make the deductions a permanent part of the tax code.…
An article in the Boston College student publication, The Gavel, describes the college’s food donation program. Every Bite Counts (eBC) is a student volunteer group that has been helping donate leftover dining hall food since 2005. Five nights each week, student volunteers package and label leftovers from dinner. The group works with Lovin’ Spoonfuls Food…
MetroWest Daily News reports on a range of food waste reduction efforts going on across the MetroWest region. The Massachusetts Commercial Organics Waste Ban, which went into effect in October of 2014, has motivated increased interest in diverting surplus food and food scraps from landfills and incinerators. The article describes examples of businesses and institutions…
WCVB reports on the awards that the EPA recently announced which recognize organizations for their food waste reduction efforts. Four of the fourteen organizations that received awards nationwide are located in New England. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection was recognized for food waste outreach and technical assistance provided through the RecyclingWorks program. Salem State…
The MetroWest Daily News published an article about The Food Recovery Act, which was introduced this week. This bill outlines a series of strategies for reducing food waste on a national level including expanding tax deductions and liability protections for businesses and institutions that donate food. Massachusetts, which implemented a commercial organics waste ban in…
The Mass DEP just announced a new grant program, the Recycling Business Development Grant (RBDG), intended to help Massachusetts recycling processors and manufacturers create sustainable markets for eligible materials, and to add value to municipal and business recycling efforts. Selected applicants can receive grant awards up to $400,000. The application deadlines are: Round 1 –…
The MetroWest Daily News published an article about the Food Donation Guidance recently posted to the RecyclingWorks website. RecyclingWorks is a program funded by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) to help business create or expand recycling, composting, and other waste diversion strategies. Since the MassDEP established the Commercial Organics Waste Ban in 2014,…
Bumper 2 Bumper Magazine is a free biweekly listing of used cars and other motorized vehicles distributed to over 500 locations throughout Western New England. This summer, Bumper 2 Bumper called the RecyclingWorks hotline when the company that had been recycling their surplus magazines into cellulose insulation moved. RecyclingWorks staff connected Bumper 2 Bumper Magazine…
A recent article on the Sustainable City Network website features three large institutions that have implemented food waste diversion programs. The article describes the logistics and challenges that each institution had to address to collect food waste on a large scale. One of the featured institutions is Boston University, which diverts food waste from both their…
The Food Waste Reduction Alliance (FWRA) has created a Best Practices & Emerging Solutions Guide. FWRA is an initiative of the Food Marketing Institute, the Grocery Manufacturers Association, and the National Restaurant Association. FWRA has three main goals: To reduce the amount of food waste generated To increase the amount of surplus food that is…
WCAI Local NPR for the Cape, the Coast, and the Islands, reported on RecyclingWorks efforts to reduce food waste in conjunction with the Massachusetts Commercial Organics Waste Ban. The story is based on an interview with RecyclingWorks staff, Lorenzo Macaluso. Macaluso describes how RecyclingWorks helps businesses divert excess food through source reduction, donation, composting, and…
November 19, 2015 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Lorenzo Macaluso, Director of RecyclingWorks in MA RecyclingWorks in Massachusetts Receives National Honor for Food Waste Diversion Efforts during U.S. EPA’s Food Recovery Month of Action Boston, MA. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection has won the US EPA’s 2015 National Food Recovery Challenge Endorser Award for leading…
November 17, 2015 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Lorenzo Macaluso, Director of RecyclingWorks MA (Primary) 413.218.1543 | Lorenzo.Macaluso@cetonline.org Joshua Cook, Green Business Specialist (Secondary) 617.292.5619 | Joshua.Cook@state.ma.us RecyclingWorks in Massachusetts Announces Food Donation Web Page [BOSTON] The Holidays are a time when many people take action to donate food to various food rescue organizations. Businesses and…
WABI TV5 reports on a new food waste depackaging and anaerobic digestion system operated by Agri-Cycle Energy and Exeter Agri-Energy in Exceter, Maine. The depackaging machine helps divert packaged food waste from landfills. Packaged food is fed into a large drum that breaks up the packaging. The food waste is then fed into 400-thousand-gallon anaerobic…
The EPA recently upgraded the Food Recovery Challenge (FRC) website. Any business or organization can join the FRC as a participant or endorser. Participants help prevent food waste by setting and tracking food waste reduction goals that follow the EPA Food Recovery Hierarchy. Endorsers help educate organizations and businesses about the environmental costs of food…
The Barnstable Patriot reported on a recent food waste workshop for Cape Code health officials, waste haulers, composters, businesses, and institutions. The session, led by RecyclingWorks staff Heather Billings, focused on strategies for navigating the Massachusetts Commercial Organics Waste Ban. The ban, which applies to businesses that generate one ton or more of food waste…
Wicked Local Framingham reported in September on Framingham State University’s food donation program. Meghan Skeehan, a graduate student in food and nutrition, founded a Food Recovery Network chapter at the school in 2013. The university has since donated about 2,500 pounds of food from the dining hall to local homeless shelters and food pantries. Most…
Gould Farm is a residential community nestled in the Berkshires that promotes recovery for people with mental health and related challenges through meaningful work, community living, and clinical care. The farm recently received Compost Site Technical Assistance from RecyclingWorks to help in manage their manure and food scraps. RecyclingWorks provided onsite assistance to assess their current composting…
A recent article in the telegram.com spotlights food donation programs at College of the Holy Cross, Becker College, Nichols College, and Framingham State University. These colleges have joined the Food Recovery Network. This national organization that helps recover perishable food from colleges for donation to people in need. Each school now donates some of the…
A recent article in MetroWest Daily News describes how the Massachusetts Commercial Organics Waste Ban has the potential to help address the problem of food insecurity in the state. The article is written by the CEO, David B. Waters, of Community Servings. Waters’ organization transforms what many consider “food waste” into meals for people homebound by…
Masslive reports that Valley Zero Waste, a volunteer-run group, is hosting a contest to design a window decal for restaurants that divert food scraps for composting. The announcement of this contest coincides with the one year anniversary of the Massachusetts Commercial Organics Waste Ban. The window decals are intended to help encourage smaller restaurants, which…
LeanPath released a free e-guide that compiles both well-known and creative tips for cutting waste in foodservice operations. These include menu planning strategies that reuse leftovers, preparation techniques that reduce spoilage, and methods for appropriately sizing batches to service volume. The ideas in this guide can save commercial kitchens money while also protecting the environment.…
MassRecycle has partnered with MBTA, the Massachusetts Beverage Association, and Cassella Recycling to pilot a recycling collection program at Alewife Station. This pilot program is part of an effort to increase recycling in public spaces. This pilot program will be evaluated to help inform how to successfully expand recycling collection to other stations in the…
The Northeast Recycling Council (NERC) recently posted a guest blog about green electronics. This post was written by an E-waste processor, Electronics Recyclers International (ERI), that has a recycling facility in Holliston, MA. The dramatic worldwide increase in electronics has brought a lot of attention to discarded smart phones, laptops, and computers as an environmental issue. Unwanted…
A recent article in BioCycle outlines a report on options for commercial generators to manage organics on-site. This report was created by Tetra Tech Inc. as a guide to help businesses comply with Vancouver’s organics disposal ban which took effect July 1, 2015. The analysis covers everything from conventional storage through anaerobic digestion. The report…
This article from USA Today highlights the recent announcement of the USDA’s goal to reduce food waste 50% by 2030. The article includes perspective from EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy and notes that the effort has the support of a range of grocers and food-service companies. RecyclingWorks in Massachusetts assists businesses and institutions with recycling and food waste reduction…
This article from NPR describes how the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has set a target to reduce wasted food in the United States fifty percent by 2030. The article describes the negative impacts of wasted food, including increased food costs, wasted fuel, and increased methane gas emissions, while providing a menu of options for…
Supermarkets that bale rigid plastics – such as deli containers, floral buckets, and pharmacy bottles – can generate significant revenue. The Association of Postconsumer Plastic Recyclers (APR) recently created a training video to help grocery stores start baling rigid plastic containers. The APR case study of several methods of disposing of rigid plastics found that…
This summer, RecyclingWorks staff helped the Wilco Solid Sound Festival establish a compost and recycling collection program. Every two years the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA) hosts this music and arts festival. The event draws over 8,000 visitors and has more than a dozen food and drink vendors. Over the course of this…
The MetroWest Daily News reports that Framingham State recently became Food Recovery Certified. This certification recognizes business that donate surplus food to non-profit food recovery organizations. Framingham State is the second entity in Massachusetts to attain this certification. Their surplus food is delivered to Pathways Family Shelter and Pearl Street Shelter. Food Recovery Certified businesses…
An article by Lauren Palumbo, Chief Operating Officer of the Boston-based food Rescue Organization Lovin’ Spoonfuls, describes how grocers can help solve the problem of food waste while benefiting their bottom line. Food rescue organizations help connect grocery stores, wholesalers, and farms with social service entities that serve those in need. By donating food, grocers…
In a recent survey by AASHE, nearly a third of Americans said they would be more likely to attend a game or concert at a stadium if they knew that all of the stadium waste would be recycled or composted. One in five of those surveyed also said they would be likely to buy more…
Students at Emerson College created a short documentary that follows Food For Free, a food rescue organization based in Cambridge, as they capture donated food and distribute it to those in need. RecyclingWorks in Massachusetts assists businesses and institutions with recycling and food waste reduction through composting and food donation. To speak to a recycling…
The Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic has posted three legal fact sheets for food donation in Massachusetts. The topics include: Date Labeling Tax Incentives Liability Protections As long as food is donated in good faith and date labeling rules are followed, there are ample liability protections for food donors. All businesses qualify for some…
An article in MassLive describes how the Boston Public Market, which opened this week, will donate surplus food and compost food scraps. The Boston Public Market is a year-round marketplace for local food with over 35 vendors. Two food rescue organizations, The Greater Boston Food Bank and Lovin’ Spoonfulls, will help distribute surplus food from…
An article in the Boston Globe last week featured three small green businesses in the Boston area. One of the businesses, CERO, is a cooperative organic waste-hauling service that started in conjunction with the Massachusetts commercial organics waste ban. CERO, which serves Dorchester, Roxbury and East Boston, was founded by five people from the community.…
A recent article in E&E Publishing describes how new laws, like Massachusetts’ Commercial Food Waste Ban, are helping to increase the portion of surplus food that is donated to charity. While a large portion of food diverted from the waste stream is composted, many organizations are helping connect food producers to food banks. In the…
A recent article in LeanPath explains the many hidden costs to foodservice operators of wasted food. In addition to the cost of the ingredients, there is also the energy and water to store and prepare the food, the labor to prepare it, the disposal costs to get rid of it, and the “cost” of lost…
The National Restaurant Association Show in May featured a number of products to help restaurants reduce food waste. These included everything from equipment to automatically capture grease from sinks and dishwashers to compostable birchwood utensils and wheat straw containers. RecyclingWorks in Massachusetts assists businesses and institutions with recycling and food waste reduction through composting and food donation.…
A report by the Green Sports Alliance (GSA) and Natural Resource Defense Council (NRDC) features 20 professional sports venues across North America that are implementing more sustainable food service and disposal practices. Many of these venues have programs to donate or compost excess food. The report includes tips for starting composting programs at sports venues.…
The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) recently announced $1.1 million in funding for three projects that will convert organic materials into energy. The awards will support the development of anaerobic digestion facilities in Bourne, Freetown and Hadley. Harvest Power, Bourne, MA: $400,000 to design and build an anaerobic digester for processing wastewater treatment sludge, food waste, fats,…
This Berkshire Eagle article tells the story of seven restaurants and one market in Lenox that have combined forces to compost their food scraps. Alta, Church Street Cafe, Frankie’s Ristorante Italiano, The Old Heritage Tavern, Table Six, Firefly, Spoon and Lenox Natural Foods have contracted with Empire Zero Waste to bring their uneaten and leftover…
A revised version of a guide to On-Site Systems for Managing Food Waste, compiled by RecyclingWorks, is now available on our website on the “Options for Complying with the Commercial Organics Waste Ban” page. This comprehensive, 88-page guide includes information about cost-effective ways to comply with the Massachusetts Commercial Organics Waste Ban on-site, such as…
The University of Oregon Campus Zero Waste Program put together this extensive Zero Waste Campus Toolkit to help colleges and universities create a Zero Waste Campus. This toolkit contains resources regarding the concept of Zero Waste, Zero Waste management practices and a sample Zero Waste campus pledge and model policy. RecyclingWorks in Massachusetts has assisted…
This article from the Professional Convention Management Association provides tips for reducing the amount of leftover food at meetings, including knowing how many people will attend, working with your caterer to determine a proper amount of food to serve, and keeping some food safely stored so that it can be donated if it is uneaten.…
The April 29, 2015 meeting summary, presentations, and handouts including March 2015 working draft fact sheets from Harvard Food Law and policy Clinic on food donation are now available on the MassDEP website here: http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/massdep/news/advisory-committees/swac-organics-subcommittee-.html RecyclingWorks in Massachusetts assists businesses and institutions with recycling and food waste reduction through composting and food donation. To speak…
RecyclingWorks worked with CERO, an employee-owned organics hauler, to set up a successful composting program for America’s Food Basket, a supermarket chain in Boston. The supermarkets now divert 4.5 tons per week of source separated organics, totaling 234 tons annually. To learn more, read the case study here. RecyclingWorks in Massachusetts is a recycling assistance…
A Boston Magazine article recently highlighted the work of Food For Free, a Cambridge-based non-profit, collects unused food from farmers’ markets, grocery stores, bakeries, and universities and donates it to food pantries, schools, and individuals in need of healthy food. Sasha Purpura, executive director of Food For Free, says “Our mission is to address hunger…
On June 4th, RecyclingWorks in Massachusetts partnered with the Environmental Protection Agency, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, and Whole Foods to host the Spring 2015 “Diversion and Reduction through Food Donation” WasteWise Forum. The event took place at Whole Foods Market Regional Office in Cambridge. It was a successful event that brought together 58 participants…
In a recent article, WBUR reports that a new non-profit grocery store has opened in Dorchester, aiming to reduce food waste by selling aging and surplus food at a steep discount. The Daily Table collects food donations from supermarkets and sells them for extremely low prices, such as “canned vegetables two for $1, a dozen…
