Benefits to Food Recovery: Improved Resource Conservation through Effective Outreach Methods
Food waste is a significant portion of our overall food supply as well as a misuse of our natural resources, and as a result, there is a growing need for the implementation of sustainable practices around food waste prevention. Through the Food Recovery Challenge (FRC), the U.S. EPA offers incentives and technical support to organizations who are actively working to reduce their food waste. The purpose of this study was to find correlations between organization type and effective outreach methods, as well as understand organizational drivers and motivations to prevent food waste, in order to increase participation in the FRC. To accomplish this, I conducted a literature review, administered an online survey sent out to 826 organizations, and took part in current participant outreach for the FRC during my internship at the U.S. EPA, Region 10. Findings from this study show that email can be a useful method of outreach. Furthermore, there are many organizations currently making efforts to reduce their food waste who are interested in recognition opportunities and learning more about food recovery options, making them eligible and ideal participants in the FRC. Increased participation in the FRC can benefit both the EPA and organizations, and may lead to additional resource conservation and consumer awareness.