Tag Archives: USDA

Something To Shoot For: US Sets Food Waste Reduction Goal

Today, the USDA and EPA joined forces with charitable organizations, faith-based organizations, food companies and local governments to set the first ever national food waste reduction goal. For sure, it’s a happy day in the land of wasted food. Yet my initial elation is now tempered with a few reservations. The Great: It’s a whopper! […]

September 16, 2015 | Posted in Campaigns, Stats | Comments closed

Looking Back, Then Ahead

2014 has been a banner year for fighting food waste. There many successes to celebrate, including those on the policy level: Massachusetts’ ban on commercial food waste to landfills went into effect on October 1, The Milan Protocol included a goal of 50 percent reduction in food waste by 2020, and the USDA streamlined procedures for […]

December 31, 2014 | Posted in International, Legislation, Waste Ban | Comments closed

Schooling Waste

Seeing the USDA involved in fighting food waste is encouraging. Especially when it’s in the realm of school lunch. That’s why I found this blog post on solutions to school food waste and the corresponding infographic (see below) such a pleasant surprise. The post counters the popular misconception that schools are required to trash all student […]

August 28, 2014 | Posted in Food Recovery, School | Comments closed

New Numbers on US Food Waste

In case you missed Friday’s big news, the USDA released a new food waste study! Here are some of the key findings combined with corresponding analysis. Finding: 31 percent of the available food supply at retail and consumer level were not eaten. What it means: Obviously, we’re wasting a lot of food! Yet, as the authors […]

February 25, 2014 | Posted in Household, Stats | Comments closed

USDA, EPA Partner To Tackle Food Waste

The USDA and EPA kicked off the US Food Waste Challenge today in Washington, D.C. The launch event, timed to coincide (loosely) with World Environment Day, featured speeches on the importance of food waste from Secretary of Ag Tom Vilsack and acting EPA chief Bob Persiasepe, in addition to private sector partners. By just about any […]

June 4, 2013 | Posted in Environment | Comments closed

USDA Challenges US to Waste Less Food

I’ve been fairly critical of the USDA in the past for not doing enough to combat food waste. But I’m excited to report that the Department of Agriculture is will launch the U.S. Food Waste Challenge in a few weeks. The campaign, in conjunction with the EPA, will challenge food producers, manufacturers and retailers–really everyone […]

May 22, 2013 | Posted in Farm, Legislation | Comments closed

Friday Buffet

Hot off the press: New data on retail and home produce waste from our friends at the USDA’s Economic Research Service. I’ll break this down further in a future post, but in the meantime, take a gander. — — Exciting News: The NY Times Online reports that The Grocery Manufacturers Association is planning a three-year initiative to […]

September 16, 2011 | Posted in Composting, Energy, Friday Buffet, Household, Personal, Supermarket | Comments closed

The Reports Report

Last week, the EPA released the latest version of its Municipal Solid Waste report. It’s a big occasion in these parts. If you’re like me, you eschew the fact sheet for the 189-page full report. Because the latter includes the all-important “products discarded” (on page 94). That represents what’s dumped in landfills, after recycling reduces […]

February 2, 2011 | Posted in Household, Restaurant, Stats, Waste Stream | Comments closed