Overview
As part of the 2019 strategic planning process, the Coalition prioritized efforts to educate and advocate to reduce and recover food loss and waste across the food system supply chain.
Check out our 3 year goals:
- The residents, businesses, and municipalities of the County are aware of how, where, and why food is being wasted within and around its borders.
- There is increased awareness of local solutions and existing assets available to residents, businesses, and municipalities of Maricopa County.
- Residents, businesses, and municipalities of the County understand how the issues surrounding wasted food affect its community, environment, and economy and how they can be a part of the solution.
Current Activities
- Conducting a food loss and waste assessment of Maricopa County
- Developing a food waste resource platform for municipalities in the county
- Collaborating with community stakeholders and leveraging opportunities for a county-wide educational campaign
- Supporting local organizations with the above three goals through marketing, advocacy, and education
Work Group Meetings
Meetings are at 3:30 pm on the 3rd Monday of each month. All meetings are held virtually for the foreseeable future. See the Calendar for dates, call-in numbers, and additional details.
Karen Ibarra
HandsOn AmeriCorps VISTA, Food System Coordinator, City of Phoenix Environmental Programs
Hillary Bryant
Community Engagement Manager, WasteNot
Accomplishments
- Maricopa County Food Loss and Waste 2020 Issue Brief
- Collaborative Deliberation on Food Waste in Phoenix - Dissertation by Adenike Opejin
- Local Food Guide by Recycled City
"Do Something About It!" Resources...
Composting Made Easy
Recycled City offers food waste collection services for residential and commercial locations spanning a 1,200 square mile service area. 100% of food waste items are accepted.
Feeding Hungry People
Waste Not collects an average of 8-10,000 pounds of excess perishable food food that would otherwise be thrown away and delivers the food the same day to more than 60 diverse agencies that feed the hungry.
Feeding Animals
Organix hauls food waste from grocery stores to a cattle farm in Buckeye.
Reuse Produce
Borderlands Food Bank partners with local ranchers and composting programs to recycle any unusable produce. During the 2015/2016 produce season 13% of their rescued produce was no longer usable, however 90% of this was sent directly to recycling partners, and not the landfill.