REDUCE FOOD WASTE: Most people don’t realize how much food they throw away every day — from uneaten leftovers to spoiled produce. It’s no surprise that during this time, households are eating more in their homes.

According to the U.S Environmental Protection Agency, in the United States, food is the single largest category of material placed in municipal landfills. In Pennsylvania, food waste makes up 12.2% of landfill waste.

We can all play a part in reducing food waste and decreasing stress on the supply chain.

By reducing food waste, we can save money, provide for those in our communities who are experiencing food shortages, and conserve resources for future generations.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that more than one-third of all food goes uneaten due to waste. COVID-19 has compounded the issue of food waste in the commonwealth, with ongoing pressure of the food supply chain to produce more consumer-sized goods and less commercial-sized goods as more people are eating in the home.

The department’s Pennsylvania Agricultural Surplus System (PASS) program helps to support Pennsylvania’s agriculture industry in all 67 counties and reduce waste of agricultural surplus by making connections between production agriculture and the non-profit sector.

Without PASS, these food products would otherwise be left to rot in fields, plowed under, dumped or landfilled.

Pennsylvania food rescues work to recover food before it goes to waste and distribute it to people and organizations in need in the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia areas, as well as at various colleges and universities throughout the state. Other organizations serve Chester, Bucks and Montgomery counties.

Meanwhile, Operation BBQ Relief (OBR) is an effort to reduce commercial sized food waste in restaurants, harnessing the power of shuttered restaurants, available restaurant workers and commercial food products to produce family-style meals to support those in need. The commonwealth has partnered with the Salvation Army and OBR to distribute 4 million meals. Those needing assistance should contact their local Salvation Army Corps Center or Feeding Pennsylvania food bank for distribution information.