WASHINGTON, D.C.—Interest in the EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge, part of its Sustainable Materials Management Program, is picking up with the addition of participants including hotels, resorts, convention centers, entertainment venues, and other facilities. Organizations joining the program must commit to at least a 5 percent increase in at least one of the three food diversion categories: prevention, donation or composting. Or alternatively, they can commit to a combined 5 percent increase across all three food waste diversion categories. If a participant does not have food diversion data, the EPA says it will assist the organization in developing a program to help measure future progress. In subsequent years member organizations will set site-specific numerical targets based on opportunities at each facility.
Current hospitality participants include: Chumash Casino Resort, Courtyard by Marriott & Grappone Conference Center, Crowne Plaza San Diego Hanalei, Grand Hyatt New York, InterContinental New York Barclay, Kiawah Island Golf Resort, MGM Resorts International, NH Sustainable Lodging & Restaurant Programs, Philagreen Hospitality Assn., and The Colonnade Hotel.
Food accounts for 25 percent of all waste sent to landfills nationwide—more than any other single material, the EPA says. In 2010, 34 million tons of food waste was generated. When excess food, leftover food, and food scraps are disposed of in a landfill, they decompose rapidly and become a significant source of methane, a potent greenhouse gas contributing to climate change.
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