Recovering Food Waste Through Donation & Recycling: Ideas for the Hospitality Sector

The amount of food wasted in the United States is staggering. In the U.S. more food ends up in landfills and incinerators than any other material – even more than paper and plastic. This is especially true for the hospitality sector, where a considerable portion of the budget goes towards buying food – and then disposing of the unused food as waste. In this webinar, participants will learn how food waste has significant economic, as well as environmental consequences, and ways that it can be diverted from the traditional disposal methods and recovered for donation, recycling, and composting. See the webinar agenda and links to presentations below.

Introduction – 10 min

Food Waste 101 & the EPA Food Recovery Challenge – 25 min
Speaker: Jean Schwab, EPA National Food Recovery Initiative
Jean Schwab is leading the EPA’s new National Food Recovery Initiative as well as the EPA’s GreenScapes Program for sustainable landscapes in the Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery at EPA Headquarters. She has worked in the resource conservation and recycling field for 21 years – including over 18 years at EPA. Jean is the EPA lead and subject matter expert for organic materials management issues and serves on a number of national initiatives as a technical expert on materials and environmental management. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Business and a Master’s degree in Urban & Environmental Planning.

Prepared Food Donation: A Socially Responsible & Simple Alternative to Throwing Away Surplus Food – 20 min
Speaker: Jim Larson, Food Donation Connection
Jim Larson directs program development for Food Donation Connection (FDC), LLC. Since joining FDC in 1998, Jim has been instrumental in the growth of FDC’s Harvest Program, which coordinates donations of prepared perishable food to local non-profit organizations nationwide. He implemented Harvest programs for YUM! Brands, Darden Restaurants, Cheesecake Factory, and Chipotle Mexican Grill, and is working with donors to establish programs in Australia and the United Kingdom. Jim works with Feeding America and advocates in the US Congress to encourage the donation of surplus prepared food by improving current food donation tax laws, explaining the issues involved and providing statements for House and Senate committees.

Viva Recycling! – Food Scrap Recycling in Las Vegas – 20 min
Speaker: Brad Tomm, MGM Resorts International
Brad Tomm is the Director of Sustainability for MGM Resorts International’s Energy and Environmental Services Division. In this capacity, Brad is responsible for the implementation of the company’s strategic environmental projects and initiatives in the areas of energy management, green building, sustainable supply chain, and outreach and education. Brad also specializes in statistical and financial modeling of the company’s energy, water, and waste footprint. Brad is a member of the US Green Building Council and is a LEED AP. He holds a MBA from Thunderbird Global Business School and Bachelor degrees in Economics and Geology from Vanderbilt University.

Questions & Discussion – 15 min