TASKFORCE

Food Waste

Become a food steward.
Reduce greenhouse gas emissions, save resources, save food.

WHAT IS IT?

Rotary Ideas in Action

Food waste is responsible for 8-10 % of global greenhouse gas emissions. If food waste was a country, it would be the world’s 3rd largest generator of Greenhouse Gasses! When we waste food, we also waste water, agricultural resources and fossil fuels used to produce, transform and transport food. Did you know that 17 percent of edible food is wasted mostly from households, retail service and food service regardless of country? There is much work to do to make it better and it can start at home and in your club!

Initiatives with Food Waste

Learn simple ways to reduce food waste at home, in your club and community, and at Rotary events. Stop one of the biggest producers of greenhouse gases. Because Food is too good to waste.

INITIATIVES

Project Objectives

OUR MISSION: To facilitate solutions that keeps food waste out of landfill
through education and behavior change at the household, community, school,
club, district, and zone level by providing tools and projects support.

Objectives

VISION: All Rotarians act to save food to prevent the creation of methane and the waste of food production resources and transport, by creating circular economy projects and improving food security.

OBJECTIVES: To have all Rotary events and meetings diverting food waste out of landfill and provide:

  • Education – Serve as a resource referral center for Clubs, Districts, and Global Grant applicants to provide information needed to understand the importance of saving food. Motivate individual Rotarians to take the challenge and spread the practice of preventing food from going to waste. Collect data and information on food waste. Provide educational material and project support.
  • Projects – Facilitate the implementation of Food Waste Reduction projects.
  • Advocacy – Serve as Food Waste Ambassadors to educate Rotarians and provide presentations to local clubs, districts and other Rotary events.
Project Examples

Gather in teams and collaborate to find ideas on what you can do to prevent food waste. By sorting your fridge, storing food properly, eating leftovers, donating, and composting, much can be done. Try one of these projects today:

  • Recovering food and avoiding food waste at Rotary events (District Conference, PETS, Zone conference, fundraisers, District Assembly Training, etc.)
  • Students leading efforts to reduce food waste at school
  • Interactors starting a school composting system
  • Food Waste & Food Recovery community assessment (understand what you can do in your own community)
  • Rotarians joining forces with the Renewable Energy team to save food at a farmers’ market
  • Rotarians gleaning fresh produce to prevent food waste:
      • Collecting from Farmers Market
      • Gleaning from orchards
      • Recovering food at grocery stores

ESRAG invites global Rotary members with interest, experience, and/or expertise in food waste to contact the Food Waste Task Force to join our team.

Resources

Recording of Presentation:

Presentation based on the original template (Octobre 2021)

Presentation given at the first Kyoto Peace Conference in 2021

Food Waste Information 

US EPA  

Sustainable Management of Food | US EPA 

Food: Too Good to Waste Implementation Guide and Toolkit | Sustainable Management  of Food | US EPA 

ReFED : Food Waste Recycling Analysis, Reduce Food Waste & Food Recovery – ReFED US Composting Council 

Zero Waste USA: Zero Waste USA | Inspiring Communities to Embrace and Achieve Zero Waste Zero Waste International Alliance  

Global FoodBanking Network  

EcoSafe Zero Waste 

FoodPrint: Making Sense of Food

Institute for Local Self Reliance – Compost for a Better Planet 

Useful website for food waste challenge 

Campaigns 

https://savethefood.com/ (US campaign) 

https://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/ (UK site) 

https://lovefoodhatewaste.ca/ (Canadian site) 

https://furtherwithfood.org/?s=Tag%3A+Food%3A+Too+Good+to+Waste

Community Websites (English & Spanish) 

https://nofoodleftbehindcorvallis.org/ (includes Spanish) 

https://stopfoodwaste.org/

https://www.sdfsa.org/save-the-food-san-diego

https://scrapfoodwaste.org/tips

http://www.eatsmartwasteless.com/ (also in Spanish) 

http://www.seattle.gov/utilities/protecting-our-environment/sustainability-tips/waste prevention/at-home/stop-food-waste (10 additional languages) 

https://www.co.dakota.mn.us/Environment/Residential/Organics/Pages/prevent-food waste.aspx

https://savemorethanfood.org/make-a-difference/at-home/

Toolkit 

https://savethefood.com/partner-kit/

https://furtherwithfood.org/resources/the-refrigerator-demystified/

The Waste Free Kitchen Handbook 

Recipe Websites 

https://www.bettycrocker.com/how-to/dinner-ideas-using-what-you-have-on-hand

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipes/14503/everyday-cooking/everyday-leftovers/

https://www.savethefood.com/cook-it

https://www.bigoven.com/recipes/leftover

https://zerowastechef.com/recipe-index/

Cooking for one 

https://onedishkitchen.com/cooking-for-one-recipes/

http://www.pbs.org/food/theme/cooking-for-one/

https://www.foodnetwork.com/topics/for-one

Apps, Tools, Directories, Etc. 

FoodKeeper App – info on how long food can last if stored properly 

https://savethefood.com/meal-prep-mate/ – Meal prep & planning tool Save The Food’s Alexa skill – storage & freshness info 

https://savethefood.com/storage – Storage directory 

https://endsandstems.com/ – Meal planning subscription 

Google’s Plan Your Planet tool impact of your waste, tips, tracking 

http://notasteforwaste.org/ – also a bookazine 

Scraps: Parts Uneaten cooking show 

Twitter accounts: @makemyleftover & @eatortoss

Other environmental and climate change information

Project Drawdown 

Cool The Climate 

Kiss The Ground  

The Target Organics Hub 

Green Education 

FOOD WASTE

Featured Videos and

Webinar Recordings

Want to take action with Food Waste?

ESRAG invites global Rotary members with interest, experience, and/or expertise in food waste to contact the Food Waste Task Force to join. Requirements to be on our Task Force:

  • Must be a member of ESRAG
  • Task Force meetings once a month
  • Up to 2 one hour meetings per month plus prep (up to 5-8 hours per month)
  • Responsive via email
  • Be passionate about being a resource
ESRAG Food Waste