Food waste is a significant global issue, and Maryland is actively taking steps to address it through various food recovery initiatives. This guide, based on resources from the Maryland Department of the Environment, outlines the food recovery hierarchy and highlights organizations and resources near Maryland dedicated to reducing food waste and helping communities. Whether you’re looking to donate food, reduce waste at your business, or find food assistance, understanding food recovery near MD is crucial.
Understanding the Food Recovery Hierarchy
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Food Recovery Hierarchy prioritizes different strategies for managing food scraps, with the most beneficial at the top. This hierarchy is a cornerstone of food waste reduction efforts in Maryland and across the US.
Image: A visual representation of the EPA Food Recovery Hierarchy, outlining the preferred order of actions to prevent and manage food waste, emphasizing source reduction, feeding hungry people, and composting.
1. Source Reduction: Prevent Waste at the Source
The most effective way to tackle food waste is to prevent it from happening in the first place. Source reduction is about minimizing the generation of food scraps. For individuals, who are responsible for a large portion of food waste, this means being more mindful in our daily habits. Practical steps for source reduction include:
- Meal Planning: Plan your weekly meals to buy only what you need, reducing the chance of food spoilage.
- Optimize Storage: Organize your pantry and refrigerator effectively to keep track of what you have and use food before it goes bad.
- Prioritize Perishables: Use perishable items first to prevent them from expiring.
- Love Your Leftovers: Be intentional about using leftovers and creative with ingredients to minimize waste.
Businesses and communities can also significantly contribute to source reduction. The EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge and the Food: Too Good To Waste toolkit offer excellent resources and strategies for larger-scale waste prevention. These tools help in assessing current waste levels and implementing smart shopping, storage, preparation, and saving techniques.
Furthermore, recognizing the value in “ugly” produce is a key aspect of source reduction. Fruits and vegetables with minor cosmetic imperfections are just as nutritious and delicious as their picture-perfect counterparts. Choosing these items helps reduce waste at the farm level and promotes a more sustainable food system near MD and beyond.
2. Feed Hungry People: Donate Surplus Food
Donating edible surplus food is a vital step in food recovery, connecting excess food with individuals and families in need. Food banks, pantries, and rescue programs across Maryland and the nation facilitate this process. Anyone can donate food, making it an accessible way to contribute to food security in your community.
Organizations accepting food donations near MD include:
- Food Pantries: Local food pantries, searchable at http://www.foodpantries.org/st/maryland, act as direct distributors of food to individuals and families facing food insecurity.
- Food Banks: Organizations like the Maryland Food Bank, with facilities in Baltimore, Salisbury, and Hagerstown, serve as central hubs for collecting and distributing large quantities of donated food to various hunger-relief programs throughout the state and areas near MD. County-level food banks also operate to address local needs.
- Food Rescue Programs: These programs specialize in rescuing perishable and prepared foods from restaurants, caterers, and grocery stores, quickly redirecting them to charities and agencies serving those in need. This prevents high-quality food from going to waste and ensures it reaches people who can benefit from it.
3. Feed Animals: Repurpose Food Scraps for Animal Feed
Food scraps can be safely and effectively used as animal feed, providing a nutritious alternative to disposal. This practice is common among farmers and can lead to cost savings for agricultural operations and food businesses. Donating food scraps for animal feed is often more economical than traditional disposal methods. Beyond farms, zoos and animal food producers also accept suitable food scraps.
To learn more about donating food scraps for animal feed near MD, contact your county agricultural extension office or public health agency. Resources like the Swine Health Protection Act and the guide “Leftovers for Livestock: A legal Guide for Using Excess Food as Animal Feed” offer valuable information on safe and legal practices for food scrap donation for animal consumption.
4. Industrial Uses: Utilizing Food Scraps for Biofuels and Bioproducts
Food scraps can be processed industrially to create valuable products like biofuels and biopolymers. Anaerobic digestion is a key technology in this area.
- Anaerobic Digestion: This process uses microorganisms to break down organic materials, including food scraps, in an oxygen-free environment. It generates biogas, a renewable energy source composed mainly of methane and carbon dioxide. The byproduct, digestate, can be used as compost or soil amendment. EPA Anaerobic Digestion and EPA Biogas Recovery provide further information on these technologies and their benefits for communities near MD and nationwide.
- Fats, Oils, and Grease (FOG): FOG can be transformed into various products through rendering, including animal feed, cosmetics, and soap. Additionally, FOG can be converted into biodiesel, a cleaner-burning fuel, or used in anaerobic digesters to produce biogas. How Used Cooking Oils and Animal Fats are Recycled offers insights into the recycling processes for these materials.
5. Composting: Creating Soil Enhancements from Food Waste
Composting is the controlled aerobic decomposition of organic waste, transforming food scraps into a valuable soil conditioner. Compost improves soil health, reduces the need for chemical fertilizers and irrigation, and helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and landfill waste.
Benefits of composting include:
- Reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
- Extending the lifespan of landfills.
- Producing a natural soil conditioner.
- Decreasing reliance on chemical fertilizers and irrigation.
- Creating green jobs.
- Improving air and water quality.
While yard trimmings are more commonly composted in Maryland, there is growing potential for expanding food scrap composting. For more information on composting initiatives and facilities near MD, visit the Department’s Organics Diversion and Composting web page.
6. Landfill or Incineration: The Least Preferred Options
Landfilling and incineration should be the last resorts for food scraps. Landfills produce methane, a potent greenhouse gas contributing to climate change. Incineration releases carbon dioxide and other emissions that can negatively impact air quality. Prioritizing the higher tiers of the food recovery hierarchy is essential for environmental sustainability near MD and globally.
Food Waste Reduction Advocates and Resources Near MD and Beyond
Numerous organizations and campaigns are working to reduce food waste at international, national, state, and local levels. Here are some key advocates and resources relevant to the Maryland area:
National Organizations:
- American Biogas Council: Promotes the biogas industry for job creation and environmental sustainability (https://www.americanbiogascouncil.org/).
- AmpleHarvest.org: Facilitates connections between gardeners with excess produce and local food pantries (http://ampleharvest.org/).
- End Food Waste: Raises awareness about food waste and promotes the value of less-than-perfect produce (http://www.endfoodwaste.org/).
- Food Waste Reduction Alliance: Industry collaboration to reduce landfill food waste and increase food donation (http://www.foodwastealliance.org/).
- Markets Institute, WWF: Focuses on sustainable food production as a global issue (http://www.worldwildlife.org/initiatives/the-markets-institute).
- National Restaurant Association Conserve Program: Offers sustainability resources for the restaurant industry (http://conserve.restaurant.org/).
- Save The Food: A public awareness campaign with tips and strategies for reducing food waste at home (http://savethefood.com/).
State and Regional Resources (Maryland Focus):
- Center For A Livable Future (Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health): Researches the connections between public health, food systems, and the environment (http://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-institutes/johns-hopkins-center-for-a-livable-future/).
- Community Food Rescue (Montgomery County, MD): A coordinated food recovery network (https://communityfoodrescue.org/).
- Eco City Farms (Prince George’s County, MD): A non-profit urban farm promoting sustainable local food systems (http://www.ecoffshoots.org/).
- Imperfect Produce: A delivery service for “ugly” fruits and vegetables, potentially serving areas near MD (http://www.imperfectproduce.com/#ugly-produce-delivered).
- Maryland Restaurant Association: Supports and promotes the foodservice industry in Maryland (http://www.marylandrestaurants.com/).
Food Waste Hauling and Recovering Companies & Grocery Store Programs:
For businesses seeking food waste hauling and recovery services near MD, and grocery stores with donation programs, refer to local listings and directories. Check with companies directly for service details and coverage areas. Grocery chains like Giant (https://giantfood.com/live-well/community/environment/) with their “Meat the Needed” program and Wegmans (http://www.wegmans.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/PressReleaseDetailView?langId=-1&storeId=10052&catalogId=10002&productId=846290) are examples of larger retailers involved in food donation.
Additional Resources and Documents:
Explore these resources for more in-depth information on food waste reduction and recovery:
- EPA’s Energy Star: (https://www.energystar.gov/) for waste tracking tools.
- Food Waste Reduction Alliance Best Practices & Emerging Solutions Toolkit: (/programs/land/RecyclingandOperationsprogram/Documents/www.mde.state.md.us/assets/document/Food%20Scraps/FWRA_Toolkit_FINAL_0415141.pdf)
- Global Initiative on Food Loss and Waste Reduction brochure: (/programs/land/RecyclingandOperationsprogram/Documents/www.mde.state.md.us/assets/document/Food%20Scraps/GlobalInitiativeonFoodLossAndWasteReduction.pdf)
- Hungerpedia: (http://rockandwrapitup.org/hungerpedia/)
- Let’s Talk Trash (USDA’s food mindfulness info-graphic): (/programs/land/RecyclingandOperationsprogram/Documents/www.mde.state.md.us/assets/document/Food%20Scraps/2015Let%27sTalkTrashInfographic.pdf)
- MD Recycles: (http://mdrecycles.org/) for recycling and donating companies in Maryland.
- NRDC: Wasted- How America Is Losing Up to 40 Percent of Its Food from Farm to Fork to Landfill: (/programs/land/RecyclingandOperationsprogram/Documents/www.mde.state.md.us/assets/document/Food%20Scraps/wasted-food-IP.pdf)
- Reduce Wasted Food-A Tip Sheet for Residents: (/programs/Land/SolidWaste/Documents/Reduce%20Wasted%20Food%20-%20Tip%20Sheet%20for%20Residents.pdf)
- US Composting Infrastructure Coalition: (https://compostinfrastructure.com/)
- USDA Food Product Dating: (/programs/land/RecyclingandOperationsprogram/Documents/www.mde.state.md.us/assets/document/Food%20Scraps/Food_Product_Dating.pdf)
Articles:
- Leftover Food Donation: How to Reduce Waste at Your Office: (https://www.ezcater.com/company/blog/leftover-food-donation/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_term=afora&utm_content=ad2&utm_campaign=afora)
- The Real Reason There’s World Hunger: Food Waste, Not Food Shortages: (http://www.fastcoexist.com/3062692/the-real-reason-theres-world-hunger-food-waste-not-food-shortages)
Credits:
- Food: Too Good to Waste Toolkit: (/programs/land/RecyclingandOperationsprogram/Documents/www.mde.state.md.us/assets/document/Food%20Scraps/FTGTW.pdf)
Contact Information:
For further inquiries about food recovery initiatives near MD, please contact The Resource Management Program at 410-537-3314 or via email. By working together, individuals, businesses, and communities near MD can significantly reduce food waste and build a more sustainable and food-secure future.
