The scope and scale of the food waste challenge in America is daunting. Recognizing the gravity,  the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, through its EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge  program, is encouraging and empowering local programs to craft local solutions to this pervasive problem. EPA is incentivizing participation in the program by showcasing local food waste prevention champions, both nationally and regionally.

For two Oregon food-related operations, the Newport Avenue Market in Bend and the University of Oregon’s Dining Facilities & Services in Eugene, that was just “too much.” They had to act.  The result: two award-winning programs that help divert perfectly palatable food away from the landfill and to the people most in need.

“EPA’s Food Waste Recovery Challenge champions have demonstrated that our hungry neighbors can and do benefit from the redirection of nutritious, wholesome food – food that would have otherwise been thrown away,” said Chris Hladick, EPA’s Regional Administrator in Seattle. “Winners like Newport Avenue Market and the Dining Services pros at the University of Oregon are making remarkable progress and are pushing to help meet our national goal of reducing  food waste by 50 percent by 2030.”

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