Resources Relevant to All Regions EPA compiled a list of national resources that can help you find information in your community about recycling, pollution prevention, food rescue, food donation and composting.

Food loss and waste is a growing problem in our modern society. The amount of food Americans throw away each year is staggering. In 2017 alone, more than 40 million tons of food waste was generated, with only six percent diverted from landfills and combustion facilities. EPA estimates that more food reaches landfills and incinerators that any other single material in our everyday trash, constituting 22 percent of discarded municipal solid waste.

There are growing efforts both to prevent wasted food from occurring in the first place and to divert if from landfills and incinerators. Choose your state or EPA region from the map below or scroll down to find information about state and/or EPA regional wasted food prevention and diversion efforts.

Note: Read a disclaimer about the information presented on this Web page

EPA Region 1: Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont

Current projects and grants awarded by the EPA New England Sustainable Food Management Program are listed below:

Path to 50 Percent Food Waste Reduction in Rhode Island Workshop

The Path to 50 Percent Food Waste Reduction in Rhode Island (RI) Workshop was co-sponsored by EPA Region 1, the Rhode Island Departments of Health and Environmental Management, the RI Governors Office, the RI Food Policy Council and the RI Hospitality Association on October 4, 2018. Read about the workshop sessions and more on Relish Rhody, a RI Food Strategy Blog.Exit

Reduce and Recover Save Food for People Conference

The Reduce and Recover Save Food for People Conference was co-sponsored by U.S. EPA, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and the Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic on June 28-29, 2016. Read about the conference, view recordings of the sessions and more on the conference website. Exit

Top of Page

Healthy Communities Grant Program

Healthy Communities Grant Program is EPA New England's main competitive grant program to work directly with communities to reduce environmental risks, protect and improve human health and improve the quality of life. Below is a list of the organizations that received grant awards in the past three years to further wasted food reduction and diversion projects:

2019 Awardees 2018 Awardees 2017 Awardee 2016 Awardees 2015 Awardees Center for Ecotechnology’s

Wasted Food Solutions in

Providence County

$25,000 Island Grown Initiative

Reducing Food Waste on Martha's Vineyard

$25,000 Center for Ecotechnology

Providence County Food Recovery Initiative

$25,000 Center for Ecotechnology

Waste Not Bridgeport

$25,000 Sustainable America

Implementing the Food Too Good to Waste Toolkit

$25,000 Center for Ecotechnology’s

Wasted Food Solutions in

New Haven County

$25,000 Central Vermont Solid Waste Management District

Food Waste Reduction for Greener Schools

$25,000 Charter Oaks Community Economic Development

$25,000 Rhode Island Food Policy Council (Third Sector New England)

The Food Too Good to Waste Ambassador Program

$24,788 Fairgate Farm Inc.’s

Heaps for Health $23,718 Center for EcoTechnology

Help Hartford County's Hungry

$25,000 Hartford Food System’s Decreasing Food Waste at Senior Centers in Hartford, CT $25,000

Top of Page

2016 New England Food Recovery Challenge Endorsers

EPA New England works with a number of organizations, called endorsers, that do not generate wasted food, but can provide resources to others to reduce their generation of wasted food. Below are the organizations that are participating in EPA's Food Recovery Challenge as endorsers.

Top of Page

State Agencies, Non-profits and Partnership Organizations

Below are links to state environmental agencies, non-profit organizations and partnership organizations that provide information about waste management and disposal, composting and food waste disposal bans in EPA Region 1 states:The following links exit the site Exit

Top of Page

EPA Region 2: New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands

Below are links to state and local environmental agencies, non-profit organizations and universities that provide information about anaerobic digestion, composting, food donation and food rescue in New York and New Jersey: The following links exit the site Exit

Top of Page

EPA Region 3: Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia

Mid-Atlantic Composting Directory The Virginia Cooperative Extension developed a directory of food waste composting facilities in the mid-Atlantic is intended to provide contact information for service and equipment suppliers, along with sources for information and education.

Below are links to state environmental agencies, non-profit organizations and partnership organizations that provide information about composting, anaerobic digestion, organics product development and markets as well as solid waste management: The following links exit the site Exit

Top of Page

EPA Region 4: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee

EPA worked with the Environmental Finance Center serving Region 4 at the University of Louisville to develop the Organics Recovery Program Development Tool for Colleges and Universities. The purpose of this tool is to assist post-secondary institutions with organizing new or expanding existing organics recovery programming with a special focus on composting. This introductory guide is organized by common practical composting methods from existing resources that is supported with school-specific examples and best practices.

Below are links to state environmental agencies and local organizations that provide information about composting, recycling, food rescue, source reduction, food donation and waste reduction in Region 4 states:

The following links exit the site Exit

.Top of Page

EPA Region 5: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin

Below are resources for sustainable food management in EPA Region 5:

2015 Resource Guide on Food Scrap Compost Facility Training for Region 5 States and Operators

This information resource guide was developed to discuss compost facility training needs and opportunities in EPA Region 5 states. This report:

Summarizes current EPA Region 5 state regulations relating to food scrap composting and requirements for operator training;

Identifies and describes key components of compost training resources available to EPA Region 5 state agency personnel and compost operators, especially those that accept food waste;

Provides a summary of interviews with EPA Region 5 compost operators regarding their experiences with available operator training; and

Identifies key components that address the compost operational issues faced in EPA Region 5.

Top of Page

State Agencies, Non-profit Organizations and Academic Institutions

Below are links to state environmental and economic development agencies as well as other organizations that offer pollution prevention, waste exchanges, solid waste, recycling and composting resources in EPA Region 5 states:The following links exit the site Exit

Top of Page

EPA Region 6: Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas

State Agencies, Non-profit Organizations and Academic Institutions

Below are links to state environmental agencies, non-profit organizations and universities that provide information about composting, recycling, food rescue, source reduction, food donation and waste reduction in Region 7 states:

The following links exit the site Exit

Top of Page

EPA Region 7: Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska

State Agencies, Non-profit Organizations and Academic Institutions

Below are links to state environmental agencies, non-profit organizations and universities that provide information about composting, recycling, food rescue, source reduction, food donation and waste reduction in Region 7 states: The following links exit the site Exit

Top of Page

Past Recognition Events

Newton, Kansas - Sand Creek Station Golf Course, June 24, 2013

Region 7 presented an award to the City of Newton, Kansas, for efforts to reduce waste and recycle materials at the city-owned Sand Creek Station Golf Course. Among other achievements in 2012, the City of Newton diverted approximately 24 tons of waste from landfills through waste prevention and recycling programs at the golf course. Learn more.

St Louis Cardinals, April 29, 2013

Region 7 recognized the St. Louis Cardinals baseball club for efforts to divert, donate and compost food waste around Busch Stadium in an on-field ceremony prior to the Cardinals-Reds game. Learn more.

Kansas City Chiefs, April 8, 2013

Region 7 and the Kansas City Chiefs announced Extra Yard for the Environment, the football club's sustainability initiative. The program is designed to devise and implement new green policies for the Kansas City Chiefs while raising awareness for green efforts at Arrowhead Stadium, the University of Kansas Hospital Training Complex, and for fans at home. Learn more.

Haskell Indian Nations University, November 10, 2015

Region 7 and Haskell Indian Nations University conducted a food waste sort as a part of the University’s ongoing food recovery efforts. Learn More.

Top of Page

Watch Region 7's Food Recovery Stories

Top of Page

Sign up for the Region 7 Community Digest Newsletter

The Region 7 Community Digest Newsletter contains information about upcoming events, webinars, grant opportunities and more. Check out the latest edition and learn how to subscribe to this newsletter (14 pp, 505 K, About PDF).

Top of Page

EPA Region 8: Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming

Below are links to state and local environmental agencies, non-profit organizations and partnership organizations that provide information about food recovery, food rescue, food donation, community gardens, sustainability and recycling in Region 8 states: The following links exit the site Exit

Top of Page

EPA Region 9: Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Guam and American Samoa

Food recovery work in southern Nevada, food recovery guides for certain cities, partnering organization websites and key contacts for EPA Region 9 are listed below:

Southern Nevada Food Recovery Work

On September 30, 2015, a Southern Nevada Food and Organics Recovery Workshop was hosted by U.S. EPA, the Nevada Department of Environmental Protection, the Environmental Finance Center West and the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada, in Las Vegas. This workshop brought together 36 representatives from the private sector, government agencies, non-profit organizations and academia to explore opportunities and barriers to the recovery of wasted food and other organic wastes generated in Southern Nevada.

Local Food Recovery Guides, Partnering Organizations and Key Contacts

Below are food recovery guides for certain cities in Region 9 along with links to partner organizations and contact information for key Region 9 partners: The following links exit the site Exit

Top of Page

EPA Region 10: Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington

Below are links to state environmental agencies, non-profit organizations and universities that provide information about composting, recycling, food rescue, source reduction, food donation and waste reduction in Region 10 states:

The following links exit the site Exit

Top of Page

Resources Relevant to All Regions

Below are links to resources that may help you find information in your community about recycling, pollution prevention, food rescue, food donation and composting: The following links exit the site Exit

Top of Page

Disclaimer of Endorsement

Reference herein to any specific commercial products, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government, and shall not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes. The examples included in the following sections are for informational purposes only.

Top of Page