The Problem
Food Waste
Why you should care
According to the EPA, food waste is the single largest category of material in landfills.
Each year, Illinois generates 19 million tons of landfill waste. Food waste is the greatest contributor making up about 20% of that total.
When food waste decomposes in landfills, it releases methane, a greenhouse gas 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide. These gases trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere, contributing to climate change and gradually increasing global temperatures.
Reducing food waste is one of the most impactful actions individuals and organizations can take to mitigate climate change.
Food Waste at the Source
Schools and businesses are key contributors to food waste in the Chicagoland area and throughout the U.S.
American consumers waste approximately one pound of food daily, according to a USDA study. This translates to roughly 20% of all food served to Americans being discarded each year, enough to feed an additional 2 billion people.
The National School Lunch Program serves over 7 billion school lunches annually yet 530,000 tons of that food is wasted!
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An average of 3,000 tons per day during the school year goes to waste.
Businesses and offices contribute to food waste through overproduction at catered events, employee lunches, office kitchens, and company-provided food. Without composting or food recovery programs, all of this food ends up in the landfill.
Bad for Businesses
Food waste isn't just bad for the environment—it’s costly. Throwing away food means wasting the money spent on it and the resources involved in producing it, such as labor, water, nutrients, and energy.
For organizations and institutions, reducing food waste not only reduces their carbon footprint but can also lead to significant cost savings and improved efficiency. This makes it one of the most impactful and practical steps they can take to address climate change.
Community Need
Food waste in the U.S. presents not just a staggering environmental burden but also a significant social issue considering the high rates of food insecurity.
The 2024 USDA Food Security Report highlights the severity of food insecurity in the U.S.
13.5% (18 million) of U.S. households experienced food insecurity in 2023, an increase from 12.8% in 2022.
That is a total of 47.4 million Americans who lived in food-insecure households in 2023.
13.8 million children are living in food-insecure households.
In Illinois, 1 in 9 people face food insecurity, struggling to access enough food.
Food insecurity rates may increase with proposed Federal rollbacks in safety net programs and cuts to food and nutrition benefits.
Be part of the solution!
The good news is food waste is preventable!
We tackle food waste through a combination of food recovery and composting.
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Food recovery involves collecting surplus edible food and redistributing it to those facing food insecurity.
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Composting transforms inedible food waste into a valuable soil amendment, reducing landfill waste and greenhouse gas emissions.
You can make waste reduction an integral part of your company or school’s culture.
Solution:
Reducing Food Waste = Helping the environment
and your neighbors
We urge schools and businesses to adopt composting and/or food recovery programs as part of their sustainability efforts.
Composting and food recovery programs together, or alone, can help organizations divert food waste from landfills and reduce their environmental impact.
Together, we can make a difference in the fight against climate change and hunger.
Benefits:
Reducing food waste can significantly decrease our contribution to global warming and help solve hunger in our communities.
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Reduction of landfill waste
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Reduction of greenhouse gas (methane) emissions
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Conservation of resources
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Increase in sustainable practices
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Positive community impact
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Positive public relations
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Potential cost savings
Plastic Waste
Why you should care
Single-use plastics that are used for a few minutes and then thrown away are a major source of waste, bad for your health and the environment.
Americans purchase about 50 billion water bottles per year. That’s an average of 13 bottles per month for every person in the U.S.!
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Plastics are a major source of pollution, contributing to land and water contamination, and greenhouse gas emissions.
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Only 8% of plastic is recycled in the U.S. (2018 EPA).
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A large percentage of plastic is not recyclable at all.
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Plastic never fully decomposes, even after centuries.
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Plastic pollution is pervasive, found everywhere from mountaintops to the ocean.
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Most single-use plastics contain harmful chemicals that leach into the food and beverages they package causing risk to our health.
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When single-use plastics break down, they form microplastics-tiny particles that are ingested through water, food and air.
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Be a part of the solution
Reducing the use of single-use plastics and opting for reusable alternatives safeguards our health and contributes to a healthier, more sustainable environment.
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Replace single use items with reusable utensils, plates, lunch trays, cups, mugs, and water bottles.
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Provide water filling stations to encourage use of reusable water bottles.
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By using a reusable water bottle, you could save an average of 156 plastic bottles annually.
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Use compostable or biodegradable items if reusables are not available.
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Encourage students/staff to bring their lunches in reusable containers.
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Consider replacing vending machines offering single use plastic items with beverage dispensers for water, soda and coffee.
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Swap out single-use condiment packets (coffee creamer, ketchup, mustard) with larger, reusable containers.
Benefits:
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Environmental and individual impact- Good for the earth and for your health.
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Culture of sustainability- Efforts to reduce the institution's environmental impact provide morale building opportunities.
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Cost savings- Switching to reusable alternatives can save money on waste disposal and recycling costs.
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Positive community relations- Connect with other like-minded groups making positive change.
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Compliance- Be prepared for potential future regulations to reduce the use of single-use plastics.
Composting
Nature’s way of recycling! This is the natural process of decomposing organic materials, such as food scraps, into nutrient-rich compost soil.
What would this look like in schools/ in a business?
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Changing practices to prevent food from going to waste or the landfill.
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Adding a compost receptacle to accompany landfill and recycling bins in cafeterias, common areas and other work spaces, as needed.
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Placing organic materials such as coffee grounds, food scraps and food-soiled paper products in the compost bin instead of the landfill bin.
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Posting signage with a specific list of allowable compostable items.
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Compost is picked up regularly, like garbage and recycling.
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Benefits:
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Reduces food waste in landfills- Diverts food scraps from landfills.
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Decreases greenhouse gas emissions- When food scraps decompose in landfills without oxygen, methane is produced.. Composting helps avoid this.
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Supports a more sustainable food system- Recycling organic materials into compost which supports improved soil health and plant growth and reduces the need for chemical fertilizers.
Food Recovery
This is the practice of collecting edible food that would otherwise go to waste and redistributing it to people in need. This can happen in various settings:
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Farms and gardens- Donating excess produce.
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Grocery stores- Donating food that is close to its sell-by date but is still safe to eat.
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Restaurants and catering- Donating surplus ingredients and prepared food.
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Schools and businesses- Collecting uneaten food from cafeterias or events
What would this look like in schools/ in a business?
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Changing practices to prevent food from going to waste or the landfill.
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Adding a receptacle to collect uneaten food to accompany landfill and composting bins in cafeterias, common areas and other work spaces as needed.
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Placing uneaten, untouched items in the food recovery receptacle instead of the landfill or composting bin.
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In a school cafeteria, uneaten school lunch items such as whole fruit, sealed bagged produce, granola bars, packages of crackers, cartons of milk, string cheese and yogurt may fill the bin.
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In a business setting, perishable communal snacks such as whole fruit or yogurt may be donated to the bin at the end of the work week. Surplus non-perishable refreshments such as beverages and packaged snacks from meetings or events can also be donated.
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Posting signage with a specific list of allowable food recovery items.
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Food recovery items will be scheduled for regular distribution based on amount and need.
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Benefits:
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Reduces food waste- Diverts food from landfills, where it decomposes and produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas.
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Feeds people- Helps address food insecurity by providing food to those in need.
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Saves resources- Conserves the water, energy, and land used to produce the food.
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Supports communities- Strengthens community ties and collaboration.
