Schatz, Blumenthal, Wyden, Merkley, Booker Introduce Comprehensive Legislation to Reduce Food Waste

WASHINGTON – In response to the staggering amount of food wasted in the United States every year, U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) introduced comprehensive legislation to reduce food waste in stores and restaurants, at schools and institutions, on farms, and in American homes. Forty percent of food across the food supply system in the United States is never eaten— damaging the environment, costing consumers money, and wasting an opportunity to reduce hunger. The Food Recovery Act – which has been introduced by U.S. Representative Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) in the House of Representatives – will address food waste across the food supply chain.

“Most Americans would probably be surprised to learn that as much as 40 percent of the food we produce is thrown away,” said Senator Schatz.  “While many families across the country struggle each day to put food on the table, we are tossing safe and edible food because of the way it looks or the way it’s labeled. Our bill takes commonsense steps to help end food waste, feed families, and ensure our environment and food supply remain sustainable.”

“Food is the single largest contributor to landfills today,” said Senator Blumenthal. “And the sad truth is: much of this food is tossed when it is perfectly good to eat and safe to consume. Whether it is because a grocery store considers its produce ugly, a restaurant’s serving sizes are too large, or a consumer was confused by its date label, this wasted food damages our environment and our pocketbooks. And it is an affront in a country in which far too many of our citizens continue go to bed hungry every night. By diverting healthy food from landfills, this comprehensive legislation will help feed the hungry, protect the environment, and save consumers money.”

“This bill will aid the farmers, schools and groups in Oregon and across the country already working to put perfectly good food onto the plates of hungry Americans and keep it out of landfills,” Senator Wyden said. “By reversing the notion that “ugly” fruits and vegetables are inedible, and by clarifying expiration date labels so they make sense, my colleagues and I are working to reduce food waste and hunger at the same time.”  

“With millions of Americans at risk of going hungry every day, it is sad and counterproductive that 40% of our food ends up in landfills,” Senator Merkley said. “There is much more we can do to set common-sense standards for use-by dates and to ensure that good food that would otherwise go to waste ends up in the hands of organizations that can get that food to those who need it most.”

 “It is unconscionable that while one in seven Americans struggle with hunger, so much edible food goes to waste every single day,” Senator Booker said. “The economic, environmental, and social costs of our country’s food waste problem touch nearly every community across the country. The Food Recovery Act will create innovative approaches for solving our country’s food waste crisis—from encouraging research and development efforts of new technologies to standardizing expiration date labels. Together we can and must establish a more efficient food system.” 

The Food Recovery Act will: 

• Reduce food waste at the consumer level through the inclusion of the Food Date Labeling Act to standardize confusing food date labels
• Reduce food wasted in schools by encouraging cafeteria’s to purchase lower-price “ugly” fruits and vegetables, and by expanding grant programs that educate students about food waste and recovery
• Reduce wasted food throughout the federal government through the creation of an Office of Food Recovery to coordinate federal efforts, and by requiring companies that contract with the federal government to donate surplus food to organizations such as food banks and soup kitchens
• Reduce wasted food going to landfills by encouraging composting as a conservation practice eligible for support under USDA’s conservation programs
• Reduce wasted food through research by directing the USDA to develop new technologies to increase the shelf life of fresh food, and by requiring the USDA to establish a standard for how to estimate the amount of wasted food at the farm level

The legislation is supported by the Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic, the Natural Resources Defense Council, United Technologies Corporation, the World Wildlife Fund, and Feeding America.

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