Helpful Connecticut Wasted Food Resources

• Connecticut Food Waste Estimation Guidance
  • CET has compiled industry data from published reports and studies, which can be used as guidance for facilities with little to no current Source Separated Organic Materials (SSOM) diversion program in place. The purpose of this tool is to help businesses and institutions in Connecticut determine whether it is likely they are subject to the Connecticut Commercial Organics Recycling Law.

• Wasted food reduction and recovery in Connecticut
  • Connecticut DEEP’s resources on how to recover food and reduce wasted food.

• Map of Food Waste in Connecticut
  • Connecticut DEEP’s map for identifying, quantifying, and mapping wasted food from Connecticut businesses and institutions.

• Composting and Anaerobic Digestion Facilities in Connecticut
  • Connecticut DEEP’s website includes facilities that accept certain types of wasted food.

• Connecticut Food Donation Made Easy
  • This food rescue guidance document is part of a series aimed at helping commercial food service providers – e.g., restaurants, hotels, corporate cafeterias, and schools – reduce the volume of organic waste they send to landfills.

• Food Donation by Connecticut Schools Guidelines and Resources
  • CET, in collaboration with Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, Department of Public Health, Department of Education, Department of Agriculture, and others, developed a guidance document for Connecticut schools on opportunities to donate food internally through share tables as well as externally to food banks and charitable organizations. The document consolidates federal and state regulations, including information on liability protection, health codes, and more.

• Food Scraps Diversion Guide for West Hartford Public Schools
  • CET provides guidance on how to implement a district-wide food scraps diversion program.

• How to donate food to the Connecticut Food Bank
  • The Connecticut Food Bank provides guidance on how to donate food (in Fairfield, Litchfield, Middlesex, New Haven, New London, and Windham counties).

• Throwing Away Food and Money: How Feeding the Connecticut Community Feeds Your Bottom Line
  • CET developed a resource for Connecticut businesses interested in learning more about the potential financial savings from preventing food waste. This document includes success stories, a baseline formula, and more.

• How to donate food to Connecticut Foodshare
  • Connecticut Foodshare provides both pick-up and drop-off services for food donation (Hartford and Tolland counties).

• Kneads Bakery, Café, and Mill Case Study
  • Kneads Bakery, Café, and Mill received assistance from the Center for EcoTechnology in finding solutions to reduce their waste. Their efforts led to cost savings and reduced overall waste.

• Food Rescue US
  • Food Rescue US is committed to reducing food waste and food insecurity in America. Using a web-based app, they engage volunteers to transfer excess fresh food from grocers, restaurants, and other sources, to social service agencies that feed people who are food insecure.
    • Food Rescue US – Fairfield County
    • Food Rescue US – Northwest CT
    • Food Rescue US – Hartford

• Haven’s Harvest
  • Businesses often have excess food and business owners struggle to find community partners to accept the food and find transportation for that food. That is where Haven’s Harvest comes in. Creating a robust community network is necessary to direct the food to people rather than letting the food go to waste.

• How the University of New Haven Reduced Food Waste and Expenses
  • The University has a robust set of programs in place to reduce the amount of wasted food. Thanks to the campus’s sustainability efforts, including food donation and source separation of food scraps for composting, the University is saving over $10,000 per year. While it had excellent foundations for material management on campus, the University contacted CET for support with food waste, recycling, and trash collections and communication.