The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently released new reports that quantify the environmental impacts of wasted food. In response to these findings, the EPA introduced the Wasted Food Scale (pictured below), an iteration of the EPA Food Recovery Hierarchy. The Wasted Food Scale is designed to empower individuals, businesses, institutions, and more with the…
The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR), in collaboration with the Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF), recently launched the MassGrown Exchange, a new online platform that facilitates business-to-business connections within the local food system. This platform is a tool for businesses looking to sell, donate, or purchase Massachusetts crops, seafood, products and services: Buyers (including…
Yesterday, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) released a new report highlighting the positive economic benefits of reducing food waste. This report studied the effects of the Massachusetts Commercial Food Waste Ban, which prohibits businesses and institutions that generate one ton or more of food waste per week from disposing of that waste in…
Recently, the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) awarded $920,700 to five agricultural groups through the Massachusetts Food Ventures Program (MFVP). The MFVP intends to address food access and expansion of economic opportunities through new food ventures and enterprise throughout the state. The MFVP awarded projects that support the food processing infrastructure, distribution systems, and…
Spoiler Alert created a “Beginner’s Guide to Food Waste,” which introduces the significance and ramifications of wasted food, government calls to action, awareness campaigns, and resources for reducing wasted food. The guide includes ReFED’s Roadmap, Natural Resource Defense Council’s Save the Food Campaign, and toolkits, such as the Food Waste Reduction Alliance’s Best Practices & Emerging…
MV Times has recognized Martha’s Vineyard for their efforts to reduce wasted food. The Island Wide Organics Feasibility Study, funded by the Martha’s Vineyard Vision Fellowship (MVVF), investigated the amount of wasted food on the island and strategies to minimize that waste. RecyclingWorks provided input for the study and assisted with the implementation of the pilot…
Rethink Food Waste through Economics and Data (ReFED) released a video component to “The Roadmap to Reduce U.S. Food Waste by 20%.” ReFED is a collaboration of over 30 businesses, nonprofits, foundations, and government leaders founded in 2015 to create the roadmap. The ReFED roadmap is a national study and action plan for reducing food…
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,…
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…
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…
