Every year, more than 300 million pounds of food and scraps are thrown away – some of which is edible food that could instead nourish community members and help meet California’s climate goals. State law SB 1383 requires some large food-generating businesses to donate surplus food rather than send it to landfills. This is critical because:
1 in 4 people in Alameda County experiences food insecurity, and the demand for food assistance has grown significantly since the pandemic.
Food waste is one of the largest sources of methane in landfills, a powerful climate pollutant.
Wasting food also wastes the water, energy, and labor used to produce it.
Across Alameda County, significant amounts of surplus edible food from grocery stores, restaurants, schools, hospitals, and other large food generators is recovered through a network of food banks, food pantries, food recovery organizations, and logistics providers.
