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Zero Food Waste Coalition

U.S. Food Loss & Waste Policy Action Plan

The Zero Food Waste coalition strongly believes that building a regenerative and resilient food system will take public and private leadership in both the national and international communities. Because of this, one of the Coalition’s first actions was to call on the Biden administration and Congress to take ambitious action to achieve national and international goals to reduce food loss and waste 50% by 2030 through the following five key actions:

  1. Invest in Prevention and Keep Waste out of Landfills

    Food is the single largest input by weight into US landfills and incinerators, where it causes social and environmental harm. Investing in infrastructure and programs that measure and prevent waste, incentivize rescue of surplus and safe excess food, and keep it out of landfills will help achieve climate gains, improve our country's soils, boost profits for farmers, and feed more people.

      • Offer Funding for States and Cities that Incentivizes Organic Waste Measurement, Rescue, Recycling, and Prevention (Congress, Administration)

      • Require the Development of Food Waste Measurement Planning and Transparency (Congress, EPA)

      • Build Demand for Compost (USDA, Congress)

      • Fund Development of Public-Private Partnerships (Congress)

      • Eliminate Barriers to Feeding Food Scraps to Animals (USDA, FDA)

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  2. Enable Surplus Food Donation

    Less than 10% of excess food is donated rather than wasted. Through policy revisions, creating alternative markets, and strengthening regional supply chains, we can make it easier for farmers, retailers, and all foodservice organizations to donate excess food to help feed those in need in our communities.

      • Expand the Federal Enhanced Tax Deduction for Food Donation to Include Non-Profit Sales and Transport (Congress)

      • Enable Greater Food Donation by Farmers (Congress)

      • Strengthen Liability Protections for Food Donation (Congress)

      • Clarify Guidance on Food Safety for Donations (FDA, Congress)

      • Continue to Create Alternative Market Channels for Producers and Consumers (USDA, Congress)

      • Establish New Positions for Regional Supply Chain Coordinators (USDA, Congress)

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  3. Show US Leadership at Home and Abroad

    The US has one of the world’s highest levels of food waste per person. It is vital for the nation’s food security, climate, economic, and recovery objectives that we set a leading example on how to drive solutions.

      • Embed FLW Reduction in US Nationally Determined Contribution (Administration)

      • Require Federal Facilities to Measure, Rescue, Recycle, and Prevent Organic Waste, and to Purchase Finished Compost Products (Administration, Congress)

      • Fund and Incentivize FLW Innovation (Congress)

      • Boost Funding for the Federal Interagency Effort to Reduce Food Waste (Congress)

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  4. Educate and Activate Consumers

    37% of food waste happens at the US household level. We must educate and empower Americans to change their behaviors everywhere that they eat, in coordination with efforts in consumer-facing businesses to drive better food management.

      • Fund Research and Awareness Campaigns to Reduce Consumer Food Waste (Congress, USDA, EPA, FDA)

      • Pass the School Food Recovery Act (Congress, USDA)

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  5. Standardize National Date Labeling

    Date label confusion is one of the leading causes of consumer and consumer-facing business food waste. We need consistent labels, standardized at the federal level, and streamlined public education on how to use and interpret.

      • Pass the Food Date Labeling Act (Congress)

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Founding Members

Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic
NRDC
ReFED
World Wildlife Fund

Supporters

  • American Hotel & Lodging Association

  • Baltimore City Department of Public Works

  • Baltimore Office of Sustainability

  • Bio Studio LLC

  • BioCycle, The Organics Recycling Authority

  • Blue View Hill Foodservice Equipment Consulting

  • Center for EcoTechnology

  • City and County of Denver

  • City of Asheville, Office of Sustainability

  • City of Atlanta, Mayor's Office of Resilience

  • City of Madison, WI

  • City of Orlando

  • City of Portland, Bureau of Planning and Sustainability

  • Claneil Foundation

  • Clean Memphis

  • Collaboration Connection

  • Companies For Zero Waste

  • Compass Group

  • Environmental Law Institute

  • Food Recovery Network

  • Food Rescue US

  • FoodPLUS Detroit

  • Go2Zero Strategies, LLC

  • Google

  • Hazon

  • Healthy Way Market

  • Hellmann's Best Foods

  • Hilton

  • Hyatt

  • ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability USA

  • IDEAS For Us

  • Institute for Local Self-Reliance

  • ISS Guckenheimer

  • Jersey City Environmental Commission

  • King County Solid Waste Division

  • Last Mile Food Rescue

  • Leanpath

  • Make Food Not Waste

  • Marriott International

  • Novamont North America

  • PCC Community Markets

  • Persea Naturals LLC

  • Plant Based Products Council

  • RePurpose

  • Rescuing Leftover Cuisine

  • San Diego Food System Alliance

  • Seattle Public Utilities

  • SH Hotels & Resorts

  • Shelf Engine

  • Sustainable Events Network, Florida & Caribbean

  • Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation

  • The City of Philadelphia Office of Sustainability

  • The Farmlink Project

  • The Food Drive

  • The Kroger Co.

  • Think Zero LLC

  • Too Good To Go

  • Unilever

  • Urban Green Lab

  • US Composting Council

  • Vanguard Renewables

  • Winnow

  • Zero Waste in DC