Philadelphia businesses take food waste challenge

POSTED BY: KEN MCENTEE

Philadelphia businesses take food waste challenge

Six Philadelphia businesses have joined the Office of Sustainability’s (OOS) “Philadelphia Food Waste Business Challenge” to address restaurant food waste. This pilot program, in collaboration with the Center for EcoTechnology (CET), aims to help these businesses implement waste reduction strategies, aligning with the city’s goal of Zero Waste by 2035. Participants include Bar Hygge, Birchtree Catering LLC, Earth – Bread + Brewery, Musi BYOB, The Random Tea Room, and Weckerly’s Ice Cream.

The businesses will work with CET to assess and reduce food waste through prevention, donation, and recycling. This initiative is seen as crucial for sustainability and cost savings, with restaurants potentially saving an average of $7 per pound of food waste prevented. The program also focuses on community benefits, like donating excess food and supporting local composting.

The challenge is part of a larger effort by the city, which, in partnership with the Natural Resources Defense Council, has studied Philadelphia’s baseline food waste and identified business engagement as key to waste elimination. Modeled after similar initiatives in Denver and Nashville, the challenge will conclude in spring 2022, with findings and insights compiled in a final report to guide future waste reduction efforts in Philadelphia.

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