by Shane Henson — June 10, 2013—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) are calling on food retailers and other businesses that could play a huge role in helping to reduce the amount of food wasted in America each year to take part in the U.S. Food Waste Challenge.
Leaders within the EPA and USDA announced the launch of this program last week, and so far 200 organizations are already on board. The program’s aim is to reduce food loss and waste; recover wholesome food for human consumption; and recycle discards to other uses, including animal feed, composting, and energy generation. To join the program, participants list the activities they will undertake to help reduce, recover, or recycle food waste in the United States.
According to the EPA, Americans send more food to landfills and incinerators than any other single municipal solid waste (MSW)—35 million tons—even more than paper and plastic.
“The United States enjoys the most productive and abundant food supply on earth, but too much of this food goes to waste,” remarked USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack. “Not only could this food be going to folks who need it—we also have an opportunity to reduce the amount of food that ends up in America’s landfills. By joining together with EPA and businesses from around the country, we have an opportunity to better educate folks about the problem of food waste and begin to address this problem across the nation.”
