Food–whether you are growing, harvesting, preparing, serving or consuming it—always creates waste, so you should plan ahead for dealing with it. Many people are surprised that the largest category of waste being thrown away in the U.S. is food residuals—over 21 percent of the total! Discarding food residuals in the trash or down sink drains causes problems downstream. Instead of throwing food waste away, you can take steps to follow this hierarchy from most to least preferred:

1. Source Reduction/Prevention (prevent food waste before it is generated)
2. Feed People (donate food to those in need)
3. Composting and Vermicomposting (recycle food scraps into a valuable soil amendment)
4. Feed Animals (provide food to livestock farmers)
5. Industrial Uses (fats, oils and grease can be composted or turned into biofuel)
6. Anaerobic Digestion (turn food waste into energy and a soil amendment)

Each of these actions is described below along with links to more information. 

Step 1: Source Reduction/Preventing Waste

Several things may be done to prevent the creation of food waste, including:

• Determine the amounts and types of food waste and why they are being generated
• Buy and prepare less of those foods the next time
• Redesign menu cycles for secondary use of food (leftovers)
• Use food parts as raw materials to create other products
• Improve inventory control to reduce excess and out-of-date inventory
• Offer smaller portions for those who want to eat less
• Order supplies in bulk
• Ensure proper storage techniques
• Go trayless at cafeterias and dining halls

Food Waste Reduction and Prevention Resources

• CalRecycle Food Scraps Management Resources: Food scraps management suggestions for households, health care industry, hotels/restaurants, colleges/universities, stadiums/special events, and other resources.
• Waste Reduction: A Guide for Businesses and Institutions: Presents several strategies for generalized waste reduction in business environments, including information regarding organic waste management and composting.
• Food Recovery Challenge: Any business or organization can participate in the Food Recovery Challenge through prevention, donation and recycling.
• Food Waste Audit Log: Track amounts and reasons for wasted food.
• Food Waste Management Cost Calculator: Estimates the cost competitiveness of alternatives to food waste disposal, including source reduction, donation, composting, and recycling of yellow grease.
• Food Waste Reduction and Prevention: Benefits, strategies and success stories.
• Keeping Food Out of the Landfill: Policy Ideas for States and Localities: Policy areas to consider when considering efforts to reduce food waste.
• Sustainable Food Management Webinar Series: Helps increase understanding of food waste issues, and to support grocers, venues, and universities in EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge.

Step 2: Feed People

Donating food to the hungry should be the first step for handling excess food. There are three types of charitable food donation programs: 1) food banks; 2) prepared and perishable food programs (PPFPs); and 3) produce distribution facilities. To protect food donors, “Good Samaritan” laws were enacted in all fifty states (North Carolina’s was enacted in 1989).

• Food Recovery: A Legal Guide: Developed by the LL.M. Program in Agricultural & Food Law at the University of Arkansas School of Law.
• Federal Food Donation Act of 2008: Protection for donating food.
• Feeding America Tax Benefits: Tax remuneration for businesses that donate food.
• Food Bank Locator: Locate food banks in each state.
• Food Donation Connection: Global network linking available sources of surplus food to those in need through existing charitable organizations.
• Food Donation Tax Benefits: Food donation tax laws.
• Food Pantry Locator: Locate food pantries in each state.
• Good Samaritan Food Donation Act: Protection for donating food.
• Keeping Food Out of the Landfill: Policy Ideas for States and Localities: Policy areas to consider when considering efforts to reduce food waste.

Step 3: Composting and Vermicomposting

Food scrap composting and vermicomposting—by households, schools, municipalities, and businesses–is increasingly common in North Carolina and throughout the United States. Compost and vermicompost incorporated into soil increases the organic matter content, improves the physical properties of the soil, helps roots penetrate better, holds moisture, provides aeration to plant roots, suppresses some diseases, and supplies some essential nutrients.

• Composting for Facilities Basics: Overview of composting.
• Don’t Throw Away That Food: Strategies for Record-Setting Waste Reduction: These programs can be used as models for others implementing their own programs to reduce garbage. This fact sheet is oriented toward commercial and institutional food discard generators, and highlights record-setting food recovery programs.
• NC Composting Council: Promotes composting statewide and provides classes, including the annual 5-day Compost Operator Training Course.
• NC Composting Guidance for Urban Farms/Community Gardens: NC DEQ (DENR) rules.
• N.C. Cooperative Extension Composting Resources: Information about composting for households, schools, businesses and municipalities.
• N.C. Cooperative Extension Vermicomposting Resources: Information about vermicomposting for households, schools, businesses and municipalities.
• NC Division of Environmental Assistance and Customer Service – Composting: Info about composting, vermicomposting, and grants.
• NC Division of Waste Management – Composting: Regulations for composting and obtaining permits.
• NCSU’s Annual Vermiculture Conference: The only annual conference about earthworm farming and mid-to-large-scale vermicomposting.

Step 4: Feed Animals

Collecting food scraps for use as animal feed (particularly for pigs) was once a widespread food recycling tradition. Regulations vary from state to state on what types of food discards can be used to feed animals. In North Carolina, permits are issued to farms with swine, cattle, goats or sheep that meet the criteria for feeding garbage to animals. For information about feeding food waste to livestock in North Carolina, contact Dr. Tom Ray, NC Department of Agriculture & Consumer Resources, phone: 919-733-7601 or e-mail: tom.ray@ncagr.gov.

• Feed Animals: Information from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
• NC Garbage Fed Swine Regulations: State regulations for swine farms that accept food waste.
• Keeping Food Out of the Landfill: Policy Ideas for States and Localities: Policy areas to consider when considering efforts to reduce food waste.

Step 5: Industrial Uses

Fats, oils, and grease (FOG) can clog pipes and pumps in public sewer lines and in wastewater treatment facilities. FOG can be sent to the rendering industry to be made into another product, converted to biofuels, or sent to an anaerobic digester.

• Fats, Used Cooking Oils and Grease: Information from NC Department of Environmental Quality.
• Industrial Uses – Fats, Oils and Grease: Information from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Step 6: Anaerobic Digestion

Food waste can be converted via anaerobic digestion into biogas and a solid residual. Biogas can be used as a source of energy similar to natural gas. The solid residual can be land applied or composted and used as a soil amendment.

• Anaerobic Digestion Basics: Information from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
• Anaerobic Digestion Conversion Technologies: Basic information and resource links.
• Current Anaerobic Digestion Technologies Used for Treatment of Municipal Organic Solid Waste: 2008 CalRecycle study.