by Brianna Crandall — February 4, 2015—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) last week recognized the accomplishments of organizations and businesses participating in EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge and WasteWise program for reducing their climate footprint, improving efficiency, helping communities, and achieving cost savings through waste reduction. These programs are designed to save organizations money, protect the environment, and feed the hungry.
Food Recovery Challenge
The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that wasted food costs America more than $165 billion annually and that the average family of four throws away $1,600 of food each year. The Food Recovery Challenge participants and endorsers, through innovation and hard work, have greatly reduced wasted food. Food pantries, food rescue programs, local food banks, soup kitchens and shelters are benefitting from donations of wholesome and nutritious food — helping feed people, not landfills, notes EPA.
“In 2013, EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge participants diverted more than 370,000 tons of wasted food from entering landfills or incinerators. Of this total, more than 36,000 tons of food was donated to feed people in need, which equates to nearly 56 million meals,” said Mathy Stanislaus, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response. “I commend the efforts of our award winners and encourage others to follow their lead by joining the Food Recovery Challenge. These leaders demonstrate that protecting the environment, saving money and feeding the hungry can go hand in hand.”
FRC participants include groups such as grocers, educational institutions, sports and entertainment venues, and hospitality businesses. EPA presented 23 awards to participants and endorsers in two categories: data-driven and narrative. The data-driven award recipients achieved the highest percentage of wasted food diversion and prevention. The narrative award winners excelled in areas of source reduction, leadership, innovation, education and outreach, and endorsement.
2014 Food Recovery Challenge National Awardees
- College and University, Winner: Worcester State University
- College and University, Honorable Mention: Wellesley College
- Grocer, Corporate Winner: Supermarkets of Cherry Hill, ShopRite
- Grocer, Facility Winner: Supermarkets of Cherry Hill, ShopRite: Marlton Supermarkets, Inc.
- Grocer, Facility Honorable Mention: Supermarkets of Cherry Hill, ShopRite: Union Mill Road, Mt. Laurel, NJ
- Sports and Entertainment Venues, Corporate Winner: National Hockey League
- Sports Venue, Facility Winner: National Hockey League: Nashville Predators; Bridgestone Arena
- Convention Center, Facility Winner: Savor McCormick Place West
- Theme Park, Facility Winner: Disneyland Resort
- Hotel, Resort and Lodging, Corporate Winner: MGM Resorts International: Las Vegas
- Hotel, Resort and Lodging, Facility Winner: Intercontinental New York Barclay
- Hotel, Resort and Lodging, Facility Honorable Mention: MGM Resorts International: MGM Grand, Las Vegas
- Other Sector, Facility Winner: MB Financial Park at Rosemont/Village of Rosemont
- Other Sector, Facility Honorable Mention: Parkland Medical Center
- Source Reduction, Winner: University of California, Irvine
- Source Reduction, Honorable Mention: Kroger’s
- Leadership, Winner: Kroger’s
- Leadership, Honorable Mention: Savor…Chicago at McCormick Place
- Innovation, Winner: Kroger’s
- Education and Outreach, Winner: Kroger’s
- Education and Outreach, Honorable Mention: Savor…Chicago at McCormick Place
- Endorser, Winner: Pennsylvania Environmental Resource Consortium
- Endorser, Honorable Mention: LeanPath
EPA also recognized 14 WasteWise Program participants, which include research institutes, retailers and local governments. The WasteWise program helps organizations and businesses apply sustainable materials management practices to reduce municipal and industrial wastes. WasteWise participants reported preventing and diverting a total of nearly 7.6 million tons of waste from being disposed in landfills or incinerators in 2013—a reduction in greenhouse gases equivalent to taking more than 2.3 million passenger vehicles off the road for one year, estimates EPA.
Organizations can join WasteWise as a partner, endorser, or both. Partners demonstrate how they reduce waste, practice environmental stewardship, and incorporate sustainable materials management into their waste-handling processes. Endorsers promote enrollment in WasteWise as part of a comprehensive approach to help their stakeholders realize the economic benefits to reducing waste.
2014 WasteWise Program Awardees:
- Small Business, Honorable Mention: Command Packaging
- Federal Government, Partner of the Year: Presidio Trust
- Non-Profit Organization, Honorable Mention: Norwalk Hospital
- Small Business, Partner of the Year: Odebrecht USA
- Large Business, Partner of the Year: Commonwealth Edison Company
- Local Government, Partner of the Year: City of Urbana
- Mid-Size Business, Honorable Mention: Madison Precision Products
- College/University, Partner of the Year: University of Southern Maine
- Non-Profit Organization, Partner of the Year: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
- College/University, Honorable Mention: University of Rochester
- Endorser of the Year, Narrative Award: Exel Lockport
- Mid-Size Business, Partner of the Year: FRITO-LAY
- Local Government, Honorable Mention: City of Chesapeake Garage
- Very Large Business, Partner of the Year: Kohl’s Department Stores
For more information about the Food Recovery Challenge or the WasteWise Program, visit the EPA Web site.
