Restaurants and Retailers
Working Group
The Restaurants and Retailers Working Group is focused on highlighting grocery stores and restaurants who are successfully reducing and redistributing food waste in our community. We are working closely with Manna Food Bank, the largest food donation center in Western North Carolina, to gather information and support their needs.
Redistribution
Redistribution is focused on compiling resources and creating a community to connect edible food sources that may otherwise be wasted. We aim to find the highest and best use for food surpluses by facilitating local partnerships and identifying and bridging gaps in services.
Ongoing Effort
- Highlight positive actions that retailers and restaurants are taking to reduce and redistribute food waste in our community.
- Find and share WNC specific statistics to shed light on food waste recovery in our area.
- Build a list of resources for restaurants and retailers who are interested in starting or increasing their food waste recovery program.
- Support non-profit organizations in our community who are driving these food recovery programs.
- Support the existing work of organizations in WNC who are committed to tackling food waste by redistributing it.
- Facilitate community connections to promote the redistribution of food.
- Identify any challenges or gaps in resources that are limiting food redistribution and work towards finding solutions.
What We’re Working on Now
- Writing articles to highlight grocery stores in our community who are leading the charge to reduce food waste and donate excess food. We hope to share this article with numerous local news outlets and share through the WNC Food Waste Solutions website.
- Writing a blog about reducing food waste at restaurants and grocery stores.
- Creating a list of resources restaurants and retailers can use to start their food waste recovery program
- Creating an interactive map of food waste stakeholder organizations (including producers of and outlets for food waste) in Buncombe and surrounding counties.
- Developing a form to allow organizations to self-report on how they serve the community in terms of food waste solutions.
- Supporting other working groups including creating content for the website and blog.
Our Long-Term Goals
- Creating a “Green Star” designation for Restaurants and Retailers for their efforts in food waste reduction and redistribution.
- Learning more about the Meal Connect platform where anyone can donate or receive excess food. Potentially we would use this to get more restaurants and retailers on board.
- Organize resources that would support feeding food waste to animals instead of being landfilled or composted.
- Highlight and promote the efforts of food redistribution “heroes” in Western North Carolina.
- Educate food retailers, restaurants, caterers, and consumers about opportunities to redistribute food and the benefits of this practice.
- Participate in the planning and coordination of the next Food Waste Solution Summit.
Tips & Resources
Are you a restaurant or retailer in Western North Carolina? Download these helpful guides to help your business reduce food waste!
Restaurants
Retailers
Gina Smith
coordinator@abfoodpolicy.org
