Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to commonly asked questions.
What is “food rescue”?
Food rescue, also called food recovery, is the practice of collecting wholesome, edible food that would have otherwise gone to waste from restaurants, grocery stores, and other food establishments and distributing it to local agencies like food pantries. Food rescue is effective because it simultaneously gets food to those who need it most and reduces wasted food, reducing the amount of emissions (methane) from surplus food in landfills.
Why is “surplus food” an issue and how might “food rescue” help?
Worldwide, it is estimated that 30-40% of food is lost or wasted. When food ends up in the landfill, it generates methane, a harmful greenhouse gas, which contributes to climate change.
Simultaneously, 1 in 4 children go to bed hungry every night.
Food rescue aims to direct this perfectly edible food to those in need thereby reducing wasted food, mitigating climate impacts and decreasing hunger.
What is California Senate Bill 1383?
From CalRecycle:
“In September 2016, Governor Brown signed into law SB 1383 (Lara, Chapter 395, Statutes of 2016), establishing methane emissions reduction targets in a statewide effort to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants (SLCP) in various sectors of California’s economy. The new law codifies the California Air Resources Board’s Short-Lived Climate Pollutant Reduction Strategy, established pursuant to SB 605 (Lara, Chapter 523, Statutes of 2014), to achieve reductions in the statewide emissions of short-lived climate pollutants. Actions to reduce short-lived climate pollutants are essential to address the many impacts of climate change on human health, especially in California’s most at-risk communities, and on the environment.
As it pertains to CalRecycle, SB 1383 establishes targets to achieve a 50 percent reduction in the level of the statewide disposal of organic waste from the 2014 level by 2020 and a 75 percent reduction by 2025. The law grants CalRecycle the regulatory authority required to achieve the organic waste disposal reduction targets and establishes an additional target that not less than 20 percent of currently disposed edible food is recovered for human consumption by 2025.”
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I am a food donor and I would like to donate, but fear liability issues. Are there any protections? What are the benefits of donating?
Food donors are protected under the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act. Read more here. Other benefits to donating include: feeding the community, reduced landfill fees, increased employee morale (some employees hate to see food waste), tax incentives, contributing to a healthier environment and more.
I want more information on food waste. Where should I look?
I recommend starting here:
– ReFED
– “From Surplus to Solutions: 2025 ReFED U.S. Food Waste Report“
– Natural Resources Defense Council
Starting a food rescue program seems rewarding and needed but like it requires a lot of work. How can we make it easier?
I recommend the HungreeApp as it connects anyone with food to anyone in need. It is free, easy to use and plug and play. I like the app so much I started volunteering with them. Check it out.
I want to work together. How do I start?
Find a time on my calendar and let’s chat.
I want to work together. What are the prices?
Contact me to discuss pricing based on your needs, timeline and other details.