Did you know that one third of the food we produce in the world is wasted?

Producing this food uses water, energy, land and other resources. In rich countries, consumers and retailers order, buy, and serve too much food that ends up rotting in landfills. All this generates about 8 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Reducing food waste is one of the most effective ways to slow global warming.

Learn to eat smarter today and take a bite out of climate change!

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Local Resources

WHY DO IT

Reducing food waste can help:

  • Conserve energy, land and water

  • Keep food from rotting in landfills

  • Distribute food more efficiently

  • Save money on your grocery bill

  • Support your community

GET INSPIRED

GET STARTED

Follow these easy steps to reduce household food waste:

1. Track your food usage to see what you actually need

2. Plan a shopping list and stick to it

3. Store groceries correctly to extend their shelf life

4. Cook appropriate amounts or eat leftovers later

5. Donate or compost what you can’t eat

IMPACT

High

COST

Low

TIME

Medium

LOCAL RESOURCES

Here are some local resources to help you learn about reducing food waste in the Bay Area. More resources will be added here over time.

Marin County & North Bay

ExtraFood

ExtraFood rescues excess fresh food from any Marin organization (grocery stores, restaurants, etc.) and immediately delivers it to any nonprofit serving Marin’s most vulnerable communities.

East Bay

StopWaste

StopWaste has kitchen tips and info on composting in your city. Start composting your food waste!

White Pony Express

Picks up and delivers perishable/prepared food the same day to feed the hungry in Contra Costa County.

San Francisco & Bay Area

Bay Area Food Recovery Resources (EPA)

The EPA lists Bay Area resources for donating food and composting scraps. Discover local food recovery options!

Food Runners

Picks up and delivers perishable/prepared food the same day to feed the hungry.

Food Shift

Works with businesses in the San Francisco Bay Area to reduce food waste, donate surplus food and educate their customers about waste reduction benefits and strategies.

California

California Food Banks

Growers and packers can now receive a tax credit for donating produce to food banks, and in some cases, CAFB can provide reimbursement for special picking and packing costs.

Chefs to End Hunger

Chefs to End Hunger provides meals to the hungry by redistributing the excess prepared food that would normally go to waste in hotels, restaurants, and other foodservice operations to local charitable organizations to serve the meals.

RecycleWhere.org

Search for “Food for Donation” on RecycleWhere.org to find organizations that accept food donations. Donate groceries in your community!

CREDITS

This page was created by members of the Green Change Network and our partners. Thanks to all our contributors!

Editors: Fabrice Florin, Al Grumet, Kristina Malsberger

Researchers: Lili Cohen, Kelly Horner, Kristina Malsberger, Marilyn Price

Photo: Taz, Flickr / Wikimedia

Videos: NBC News / YouTube

To contribute more info or report an error, please email us. We will update this page periodically, based on your feedback.

This action is featured on our Sustainable Foods page, where you can find more climate actions to consider. Go green with us!

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