Sustainable Food Management

Wasted food is a huge social, environmental, and economic problem in our communities. Billions of dollars and millions of tons of food are wasted every year in households and grocery stores across the nation. In order to address the issue, California law now requires all individuals and businesses to compost, and some businesses that sell food are required to donate edible food to those in need.

What is Sustainable Food Management?

Sustainable Management of Food is a systematic approach that seeks to reduce wasted food and its associated impacts over the entire life cycle, starting with the use of natural resources, manufacturing, sales, and consumption and ending with decisions on recovery or final disposal.*

By managing food sustainably, households and businesses will save money, provide a bridge in our communities for those who do not have enough to eat, and conserve resources for future generations. The three main areas of Sustainable Food Management are reducing wasted food when buying and preparing it, donating edible and unused food to those who need it, and composting food scraps and spoiled food.

Benefits of Sustainable Food Management

• Saves money by buying less food.
• Reduces methane emissions from landfills. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that has 25 times the impact of carbon dioxide, so reducing methane emissions from landfilled food is a highly effective way of lowering your greenhouse gas emissions.
• Conserves energy and resources, preventing pollution involved in the growing, manufacturing, transporting, and selling food (in addition to preventing pollution from transporting and landfilling food waste).
• Supports your community by donating untouched food that would have otherwise been wasted to those who might not have a steady food supply.

Individual and Household Actions

Tips to Reduce Wasted Food

• Shop in your refrigerator first! Cook or eat what you already have at home before buying more.
• Be mindful of old ingredients and leftovers you need to use up. You’ll waste less and may even find a new favorite dish.
• Have produce that’s past its prime? It may still be fine to cook or bake with. Think soups, casseroles, stir fries, sauces, pancakes, smoothies. and baked goods (such as muffins).
• Plan your meals ahead of time. Use grocery shopping to look for the specific ingredients you need (and in the quantities you'll need) for the meals you plan to make.
• Are you likely to have leftovers from any of your meals? Plan an “eat the leftovers” night each week.
• Learn the difference between “sell-by,” “use-by,” “best-by,” and expiration dates.

For more tips on Planning Grocery Trips, Food Storage, Meal Prepping, and more, visit the EPA's website.

Donate Edible Food to Food Banks

• Nutritious, safe, and untouched food can be donated to food banks to help those in need.
• If you have a fruit tree (or several!) that produces more fruit than you can use, consider registering with Contra Costa Fruit Rescue, a local nonprofit, so that their volunteers can harvest your fruit and donate it to a local food bank to feed people. 
• Consider volunteering with local food banks, food rescue organizations such as Contra Costa Fruit Rescue, and organizations that provide safety net services for vulnerable populations. These organizations can always use some extra help in order to provide food to as many people as possible.

Compost Food Scraps

Composting is now required by law in California. All individuals, homes, and businesses must compost leftover food scraps and other compostable materials. In Walnut Creek, this means either composting at home or putting compostable materials into the green organics/compost bin. Visit RecycleSmart's website to see which items should go in the green organics/compost bin (paper towels and napkins are on the list!) and to find out how to compost food scraps at home.

The Cleaner Contra Costa Challenge also has resources on how to compost at home.