United States 

Environmental Protection Agency

1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW.

(5306W)

Washington, DC 20460

Official Business

Penalty for Private Use $300

EPA530-F-06-004

July 2006

E

very day, food service providers, such as supermarkets, hospitals, universities, 

restaurants, and food preparation companies, make decisions about what to 

do with surplus or leftover food. This surplus food, also known as food scraps, 

food waste, or organic materials, includes all prepared foods, produce, bakery and 

dairy items, and meat. There are many ways food service providers can improve the 

environment and provide benefits to communities by reducing, reusing, and recycling uneaten or unused food rather than throwing it away. This guide helps food 

service providers start a food waste reduction and recovery program at their facilities.

To Recover or Not to Recover: Why Do It?

Separating and managing your food scraps can result in both economic and environmental 

benefits.

Economics: It Pays to Reduce and 

Recover Food Scraps

Reducing and recovering food scraps might 

save you money by:

t Decreasing disposal fees. Food banks and 

renderers often provide free pick-ups for 

excess food, and composting fees can be 

less than landfill/incineration tipping fees. 

t Decreasing sewer treatment and electricity costs since food waste is not going 

down the drain.

t Decreasing purchasing costs because you 

are only buying what is needed.

t Increasing tax deductions for food donations to charities.

t Increasing revenue from selling compost 

made from food scraps.

Environment: Saving Resources 

And Reducing Waste 

Putting surplus food to good use benefits 

the environment by:

t Creating a nutrient-rich soil amendment 

when composted, which improves overall 

soil health. 

t Eliminating potential dumpster issues 

such as odors, pests, and fires.

t Conserving landfill space and decreasing 

methane and other greenhouse gas emissions from landfills. 

t Decreasing the volume of waste managed 

at incinerators, which reduces air emissions and the volume of incinerator ash 

that needs to be landfilled.

Industrial

Uses

Feed 

Animals

Feed 

People

Source 

Reduction

Composting

General Information

• EPA Organic Materials Web page: www.epa.gov/organicmaterials

• EPA Waste Information Where You Live: www.epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/regions.htm

• EPA and USDA. Waste Not/Want Not: A Guide for Feeding the Hungry and Reducing Solid Waste Through Food Recovery: 

www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/reduce/wastenot.htm

• Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service: www.csrees.usda.gov/

Food Donation

• Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act: www.usda.gov/news/pubs/gleaning/appc.htm

• The National Hunger Clearinghouse: 1-800-GLEAN-IT; www.worldhungeryear.org/nhc_data/nhc_01.asp

Animal Feed

• USDA’s list of state veterinarians: www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/sregs/official.html

• U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s directory of state and local health departments: www.cdc.gov/doc.do/id/0900f3ec80226c7a/

(scroll down page)

Industrial Uses

• Renderers’ Association, Inc.: www.renderers.org/About_Us/index.htm (click on the “North American Rendering” button for a report on the North 

American rendering industry)

• National Renewable Energy Laboratory Biomass Energy Basics: www.nrel.gov/learning/re_basics.html

Composting

• EPA Composting Web site: www.epa.gov/composting

• U.S. Composting Council: www.compostingcouncil.org/index.cfm

• Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, Supermarket Composting Handbook: www.mass.gov/dep/recycle/reduce/smhandbk.pdf

Resources for More Information

A How-to Guide for Food Service Providers

Putting Surplus Food 

To Good Use

Recycled/Recyclable—Printed with Vegetable Oil Based Inks on 100% Postconsumer, Process Chlorine Free Recycled Paper

Putting Surplus Food 

To Good Use
Assess your 

food waste:

Take a quick look 

at the food waste 

you are throwing 

away and identify 

potential food recovery 

opportunities to decrease 

the amount you generate.

Conduct a food waste audit:

For more detailed information, 

track and collect data on the types 

and amounts of each food scrap item 

you are generating. Collecting these 

data will help you determine if some of 

your food waste can be reduced by ordering 

or producing less, how much could be sent 

to food banks or shelters, and how much could 

be recycled through animal feeding, rendering, or 

composting.

Plan for costs: There are costs related to collecting, 

transporting, and composting food scraps. Talk to neighboring organizations about also instituting food waste 

collection at their facilities to create a cost-effective route 

for your hauler. You also might be able to generate revenue by 

selling compost created from your food waste.

Start the program: Talk to national waste organizations, haulers, 

town planners, recycling coordinators, and even the mayor or town 

manager to get support and assistance for your food waste recovery 

program. Employee training is also vital to the success of a food waste 

recovery program. You might want to consider an incentive program for 

employee participation. 

Decide what food waste recovery option works best for you: Use the 

information gathered from your waste assessment and audit to decide which 

food waste recovery option is best for your organization. The quality of your food 

scraps and your estimated generation rate will help you consider how to divert your 

food waste. To learn about waste disposal options and find haulers in your area, visit 

your state or county environmental department’s Web site. You can also ask your current 

recycling or waste hauler about hauling your food waste to a recovery facility.

For information on working with local waste management companies to improve your 

recycling rates and cost savings, visit www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/reduce/wstewise/pubs/

wwupda17.pdf.

Source 

Reduction:

Use your waste 

audit to identify 

ways to decrease 

the amount of food 

waste you generate. 

Are there any trends in 

the types and amounts of 

food waste you produce? If 

so, consider changing your business operation to buy only what 

you use.

Feed People: You can donate unsold 

or excess food products that meet quality and safety standards to food banks. 

Many national and local food recovery 

programs offer free pickups and containers. The 

Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act 

(Public Law 104-210) protects food donators from 

legal liability. The text for this act is available through 

the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Web site 

at www.usda.gov/news/pubs/gleaning/appc.htm.

Feed Animals: Determine if local farmers or zoos use food 

scraps as animal feed. There are laws and regulations protecting animals from contracting diseases through consumption 

of food scraps. Contact your county agricultural extension office, 

your state veterinarian, or your county health department to find 

out about specific state regulations and contact information for 

licensed farmers. You also might find companies that convert food 

scraps into animal food products.

Industrial Uses/Rendering: Fat, oil, and grease can be rendered into a raw material to make biodiesel, soaps and cosmetics. Anaerobic digestion of food scraps 

and waste oils produces biogas that can generate heat and electricity, fiber that can 

be used as a nutrient-rich soil conditioner, and liquor that can be used for fertilizer.

Composting: Food scraps can be composted. Ask the composting facility you plan 

to use for a list of acceptable materials and hauling options. Another option is to compost on site. Before beginning such an operation, be sure you have adequate space, staff, 

end users, and support and cooperation from business or residential neighbors. Contact 

your local or state environmental agency to find out more about composting options in 

your area and more information on special issues that apply. Learn more about the science 

and technology of composting—including various methods—at www.epa.gov/

composting/science.htm.

Reducing and Recovering Surplus Food

A Lesson in Successful 

Partnerships

The San Francisco Recycling Program 

(SFRP) used stakeholder involvement 

to create a successful composting program at local schools. SFRP and Sunset 

Scavenger, a division of Norcal Waste 

Systems, met with interested teachers, 

principals, subcontractors, and custodial 

staff to discuss roles and responsibilities 

during the different steps in the composting process. Stakeholder meetings 

allowed SFRP to identify and solve 

potential problems and foster a sense 

of responsibility needed to sustain its 

programs. SFRP’s stakeholder involvement also led to student and parent 

interest in food waste recovery. In 2000, 

the four public elementary schools and 

one private high school participating in 

the program diverted nearly 200 pounds 

of food scraps daily. The City of San 

Francisco uses its successful partnership 

approach to expand its food diversion 

program to haulers, composting facilities, dairy farmers, local colleges, and 

other organizations.

Shopping for Change

The Massachusetts Department of 

Environmental Protection and the 

Massachusetts Food Association partnered to increase organics recycling at 

supermarkets in their state. These two 

organizations established a voluntary 

supermarket recycling certification program to promote recycling and reusing 

food waste and other materials. Participating supermarkets save money and 

receive both positive recognition and 

waste load inspection regulatory relief. 

In August 2005, 62 supermarkets, nine 

haulers, and six composting facilities 

achieved a 60 to 75 percent recycling 

rate of food scraps and other organics. The supermarkets reportedly saved 

$3,000 to $20,000 annually per store by 

simply diverting organics!

Food for Thought

Coca-Cola sends leftover food 

from its cafeteria and banquets to 

Atlanta’s Table, a local branch of 

Foodchain (a network of prepared 

and perishable food rescue programs). 

Stonyfield Farm Yogurt donates 

leftover yogurt to local hog farms.

The University of Vermont composts 115 tons of its dining hall 

food waste per year for an annual 

savings of nearly $11,000 in avoided 

landfill tipping fees.

Hungry for the Basic Facts

Almost half the food in the United 

States goes to waste.

Approximately 100 billion pounds 

of food—about 3,000 pounds per 

second—is wasted in the United 

States each year.

Food scraps make up almost 12 

percent of all the municipal solid 

waste generated in the United 

States.

Less than 3 percent of food waste is 

recovered.

Food waste losses account for up to 

$100 billion per year; $30-40 billion 

occurring within the commercial 

or retail sector (e.g., restaurants, 

convenience stores) and $20 billion 

from farming and food processing.

To learn more about food waste, visit 

www.epa.gov/organicmaterials. 

Surplus food can be beneficially used in a variety of ways. The food waste recovery hierarchy prioritizes 

methods of reducing surplus food.

Source Reduction — Reduce the volume of food waste generated

Feed Hungry People — Donate extra food to food banks, 

soup kitchens, and shelters

Feed Animals — Divert food scraps 

to animal feed

Industrial Uses — Provide waste oils for rendering and fuel conversion; and food scraps 

for digestion to recover energy

Composting — Create a nutrientrich soil amendment

Landfill/Incineration — 

Last resort for

disposal