SBN’s new report highlights the significant strides made in reducing food waste within Philadelphia’s food industry. This first-ever challenge, supported by NRDC’s Food Matters Initiative, saw local businesses adopt sustainable practices, leading to impactful waste reduction and the crowning of Crust Vegan Bakery as the “Food Saver Champion.”
(PHILADELPHIA, PA August 22, 2024) — SBN is proud to publish its 2023-2024 Food Saver Challenge Report! From October 2023 through March 2024, SBN spearheaded its first-ever Food Saver Challenge, a groundbreaking campaign designed to assist Philadelphia’s food businesses in reducing food waste.
This initiative was driven by the staggering reality that up to 40% of the U.S. food supply is wasted, with Philadelphia alone contributing up to 25% of its waste stream to this figure. On a global scale, food waste accounts for over 8% of greenhouse gas emissions and is responsible for 58% of landfill methane emissions. Meanwhile, in Philadelphia, approximately 250,000 residents lack access to nutritious food, further highlighting the importance of this challenge.
With invaluable support from the Natural Resources Defense Council’s (NRDC) Food Matters Initiative, the Food Saver Challenge urged local businesses to adopt sustainable practices in alignment with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Wasted Food Scale. To ensure this Challenge was a success, we partnered with Sharing Excess, Philly Food Rescue, Bennett Compost, Circle Compost, ClearCOGS, and Drexel Food Lab. These efforts not only contributed to the City’s waste reduction goals, but also offered significant financial savings for participating businesses by reducing food purchasing and disposal costs.
Over six months, SBN actively promoted the Challenge and its participants, raising city-wide awareness and fostering collaboration. At the conclusion of the Challenge, the winning business, Crust Vegan Bakery, earned the prestigious title of “Food Saver Champion” and a $5,000 cash prize.
This report celebrates the success of the Food Saver Challenge, a pioneering effort by SBN to address food waste in Philadelphia’s food industry. The collaborative efforts of our partners and participants have resulted in meaningful strides towards reducing food waste, promoting sustainability, and engaging our community in the fight against food waste.
View the full report here: 2023 – 2024 Food Saver Challenge Report
