REDUCING FOOD WASTE

​Food professionals have the power to address the rising problem of food waste while improving their bottom line and protecting precious resources. The impact of food waste is large—food production and preparation requires tremendous resources including farmland, clean water and air, labor and energy. Yet millions of tons of food is wasted each year while many families don’t have enough food to eat.
 
The National Restaurant Association’s ConServe  Program provides resources on how to reduce food waste and has partnered with World Wildlife Fund to produce 86 Food Waste, a guide for restaurants to prevent and manage food waste.

The American Hotel and Lodging Association also partnered with World Wildlife Fund to create Hotel Kitchen, a toolkit for preventing food waste in hotels.
 
For more resources and to connect with local experts in the Portland region, explore Food Waste Stops With Me, a collaboration between local and state governments and the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association to help food service businesses reduce food waste.

FOOD WASTE REQUIREMENT TO BE IMPLEMENTED IN PORTLAND AREA
Implementation of a regional food scraps separation requirement begins March 2022 and many businesses in Washington, Multnomah and Clackamas counties will need to comply by 2023. All businesses generating more than one 60-gallon roll cart of food scraps per week will be required to separate their food scraps and keep them out of the landfill by composting, donation or upstream prevention practices. This requirement will support regional efforts to address the environmental, economic and social impacts of waste.

What’s required?

• Start and maintain food scraps collection service
• Set up internal bins with clean labels
• Separate food scraps

Metro and local governments adopted food waste requirements to address the enormous environmental, economic and social impacts of food waste. The best way to reduce food waste is through upstream waste prevention and donation practices, but some food scraps are inevitable, and this policy ensures they’re used to create compost or energy rather than ending up at the landfill.

Businesses can get free bins, posters and stickers to help set up a program. Learn more about the requirements and how to get technical support on Metro's Food Scraps Separation Policy page.

FOOD SCRAPS REQUIREMENT STARTER KIT

• Business Food Scraps Requirement FAQ
• Food Waste Estimation Guide
• Food Waste Tracker Sheet and Instruction Guide
• More Resources / Learn From Businesses Like Yours
• Business Food Scraps Requirement Webinar (On-demand recording from October 17, 2022)

​ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

• Food scraps policy (Metro)
• Composting outside of the Portland metro area

​GUIDANCE FOR COMPOSTING FOOD SCRAPS AND INEDIBLE FOOD
In some areas, it is possible to compost food scraps and inedible food.  Please keep in mind that composting facilities can only accept food that is NOT packaged. 

In the Portland metropolitan region (Washington, Clackamas and Multnomah counties), most businesses can separate food scraps from garbage and put them in separate containers for collection by their garbage haulers.  Your local government can provide support to help your business set up or improve your program to separate food scraps for compost. Go to Food Waste Stops With Me to connect with your local government or call, the Metro Recycling Information Center (RIC), 503.234.3000.

You can learn how local businesses Old Spaghetti Factory  and The Grapevine Cafe have set up successful composing programs that staff can easily implement and that keeps food out of the landfill and saves businesses money.

A number of communities offer commercial composting pick up or have sites where food scraps can be dropped off.  Please contact your local jurisdiction for details. 

LEARN FROM LOCAL BUSINESSES

​Many businesses already implement successful food waste prevention practices that keeps food out of the landfill and saves businesses money. 

• Hallmark Resort: Small changes make a big difference
• Tortilleria y Tienda De Leon’s: Promoting a culture of food waste prevention. (in Spanish)
• Laughing Planet: Food waste prevention as a pillar of sustainability
• Embassy Suites: Food waste prevention journey ​

RESOURCES FOR DONATING EXCESS EDIBLE FOOD
While steps can be taken to plan and prepare food carefully, sometimes leftovers and unused ingredients are inevitable. Food banks, pantries and meal sites can take some donations. Where possible, first consider providing excess food to your employees or employees of neighboring businesses. Businesses that donate food, in good faith, are protected by the Good Samaritan Act, and are also eligible for a federal tax deduction. Work with your accountant or business manager for financial advice.

This guide to donating food can help businesses set up a successful donation program, learn about food safety and liability and know what foods can and cannot be donated. If you have packaged produce or distribution ready-packaged goods, contact your Regional Food Bank, or fill out this Oregon Food Bank donation form if you are in the Portland Metro area. 

If you are a restaurant or hotel with one-time or ongoing donations of excess edible food please contact local government partners who can connect you with a local food bank, pantry or meal site. 

City:

• City of Ashland | Ashland Emergency Food Bank | 541-488-9544 | [email protected]
• City of Beaverton | Julane Potter | 503-526-2665 | [email protected]
• City of Bend | Cassie Lacey | 541-323-8587 | [email protected] 
• City of Gresham | Gregg Hayward | 503-618-2525 | [email protected]
• City of Portland | Paul deBlock | 503-823-7037 | [email protected]

County:

• Clackamas County | Kelly Stewart | 503-742-4458| [email protected]
• Clatsop County | Meredith Reiley | [email protected]
• Lane County | Angie Marzano, Green Business Leaders | 541-682-6536 | [email protected] 
• Marion County | Rachel VanWoert, Marion County Public Works | 503-566-4159 | [email protected]
• Washington County | Jennifer Stefanick | 503-846-3605 | [email protected]
• NW Oregon, including North Coast | Lexi Meek, Oregon DEQ | 503-229-5790 | [email protected]
• Southern Oregon, including South Coast | Cathy Brown, DEQ Western Region | 541-687-7325 | [email protected]