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The Salt Lake County Food Waste Pilot Program

Mary Kathryn Curcio, McCall Hennessy, Connor Simper, Lara Slagowski, and Mimi/Sitti

Suhardi

University of Utah

HSP 5000: Capstone

Dr. CoCo James

April 21st, 2020

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Abstract

The excessive amount of food and resources wasted around the world raises many environmental

and ethical concerns. ​According to the United States Food and Drug Administration (2019), 30

to 40% of our food supply is wasted.​ To address the problem of food waste, the Salt Lake

County Food Waste Pilot Program mandates that businesses handling a certain amount of food

create provisions to donate any excess food waste and participate in national food recovery

efforts. The program provides infrastructure for the mandate by creating a local Food Waste Hub

where donations are collected, evaluated and either composted or dispensed to local nonprofit

organizations. In addition to donating and supplying food to underserved populations, the

program creates an infrastructure to properly compost food, decreasing greenhouse gases.

Background & Problem Definition

The excessive amount of food and resources wasted around the world raises many

environmental and ethical concerns. Resources such as water, oil, and fuel are ultimately wasted

when the food it produces and transports is thrown out, further contributing to climate change.

Food that is lost during harvest, storage, and transportation is referred to as “food loss”, while the

food that is consumable but is instead often discarded by grocery stores and households, is

referred to as “food waste” (Depta, 2018). The food that is lost or wasted ends up in landfills

producing their own greenhouse gases, contributing to the rise of global warming.

It is estimated that​ 30 to 40% of our food supply is wasted (FDA, 2019). In 2010, this

equated to 133 billion pounds of waste and $161 billion worth of food. The amount of money

spent on water, energy, and labor to properly dispose of wasted food could be utilized elsewhere.

One issue that arises with food waste is the amount of “expired” food that is thrown away.
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Restaurants, grocery stores, and households often throw away consumable foods because of

packaging that implies it is not safe to eat. Labels such as “use by”, “sell by”, and “best buy” are

created by the manufacturers, not the FDA, which causes confusion for the consumer.

Additionally, the food that is actually expired is often not properly disposed of, which

contributes to the waste of resources and increasing rates of greenhouse gas emissions.

Supermarkets are also known to discard any “ugly” fruits and vegetables, contributing to

unnecessary waste.

According to the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, the

amount of food lost and wasted each year could feed the 815 million hungry people worldwide

more than three times. In the year 2016, the FAO estimated that 10.7% of the population

worldwide experienced chronic undernourishment (Hunger Notes, 2018). Most of the hungry

people throughout the world live in low to middle income countries, but there are still 11 million

people in developed countries that experience chronic undernourishment. Food access is one

main contributor to undernutrition and malnutrition. Those who cannot access or afford

nutritious foods oftentimes live in areas known as “food deserts”. According to the USDA

(2018), “food deserts” are areas where people have limited access to healthy and affordable food

options. These areas often have high rates of poverty and unemployment, in addition to

inadequate access to transportation.

A key problem surrounding food waste is the lack of infrastructure for collecting unused

food and redistributing it to those in need. Grocery stores and restaurants must have a place to

discard and donate unwanted organic material. Creating an infrastructure to properly compost

food would decrease carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere, in addition to donating and
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supplying food to populations in need. Eliminating food waste would decrease greenhouse

emissions and has the potential to eliminate chronic hunger worldwide.

Current Policy

Internationally, French legislature forbids supermarkets from destroying or disposing of

products approaching their sell-by date. This law requires food-related sectors to recycle any

unused food if they produce at least 10 tons of organic waste a year (Lemos). If the food cannot

be donated to charities or food banks, it should be composted or donated for use as animal feed

instead. If involved parties fail to obey this regulation, they will be charged a fine up to 75,000

euros. This program has been successful on a residential level as well, due to the distribution of

waste sorting kits provided by the French authorities. As a result, it will initiate about 120,000

Paris residents to put residential food waste into a bio-waste recycling bin.

In the United States, there are four federal policies and programs which correlate with our

proposed solution. The first program is the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Food

Waste Challenge and Food Recovery Hierarchy. This is a federal program which encourages

organizations to improve sustainable food practices by reducing their food waste (“Food

Recovery Challenge,” 2020). This challenge promotes the ​Food Recovery Hierarchy as a guide

for organizations to prioritize their actions to prevent and effectively divert wasted food.

Unfortunately, this volunteer program has not been very successful in Utah with only three major

participants. A downfall of the program is it only invites businesses and organizations to

participate and does not include agricultural sectors as well as customers.

The Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act is a federal law which encourages

food donation by protecting food donors from liability, excluding cases of gross negligence or
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intentional misconduct​ (“House of Representatives,” 1996). ​Under this act, the donation of food

and grocery products must be given to nonprofit organizations instead of distributing them to the

needy individuals directly in order to avoid any liability in the future. The Federal Food

Donation Act of 2008 elaborates on the Good Samaritan Act by requiring that any federal agency

which purchases $25,000 or more of food must make provisions to donate the excess food to

nonprofit organizations ​(“110th Congress,” 2008).

Finally, Internal Revenue Code 170(e)(3) is a federal government program which offers

financial incentives through the tax code if a business donates wholesome food to charitable

organizations as a way to reduce their food waste (​OCE​)​. This program has not been very

compelling for businesses to participate in because of the lack of awareness and transparency

about the program, due to insufficient public education and outreach efforts.

On the state-level, there are currently no organic waste recycling policies in Utah

(“Rethink Food Waste,” 2020).

Proposed Solution

The first goal of the Salt Lake County Food Waste Pilot Program will be to substantially

increase food donation and repurposing in the Salt Lake County area. Similar to food recovery

efforts, the program proposes two mandates to push businesses to donate excess food; the first

requiring that any entity with a food contract amounting to $25,000 or more are required to make

provisions for excess food donation, the second requiring that any entity with food sales in

excess of $250,000 annually takes part in the EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge. The mandates

would affect many of Salt Lake County’s 818 restaurants and 482 grocery stores, as well as

larger entities like the University of Utah and Westminster College (Yelp).
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Modeled after the Federal Food Donation Act of 2008, the Salt Lake County Food Waste

Pilot Program extends the act to all businesses with food contracts amounting to $25,000 or

more. The Provisions is defined as the inclusion of a clause that 1) encourages the donation of

excess, apparently wholesome food to nonprofit organizations that provide assistance to

food-insecure people in the United States; and 2) states the terms in conditions provided by the

Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act, regarding waiver of liability and costs

associated with food donation. Entities that neglect to include provisions in their food contracts

face a fine amounting to a 5% of the contract, constant with sales tax.

The second mandate enforces participation in the EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge.

Currently the challenge has low rates of participation with only three participants in Utah. The

Salt Lake County Food Waste Pilot Program will increase participation in the Food Recovery

Challenge, by mandating that any entity with food sales in excess of $250,000 per year must

become a participant in the program. Participation would provide all participants with resources

to reduce food waste, set food recovery goals, and track food waste. A major benefit of the

challenge is the required reporting of food waste (FRC, 2020). All major grocery stores and

fast-food restaurants would be affected by this mandate. Refusal to participate results in a yearly

$1,000 fine.

The second goal of the Salt Lake County Food Waste Pilot Program is to provide

infrastructure for food donations by creating a centrally located Food Waste Hub where food

from small to large businesses can be donated, evaluated, and either redistributed or composted.

We propose a one-time Food Waste Hub development fund of $250,000, composed of grants and
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an allocation of local resources. The hub would be home to an excess food sorting and storage

facility as well as a compost system for unusable food.

In addition to collecting, storing, and composting excess food, the hub will provide

infrastructure for distributing viable food donations to qualifying nonprofit organizations for

further distribution to underserved populations. Any food which is apparently wholesome, as

directed by the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act (“House of Representatives”,

1996), will be sorted and either delivered to or picked up by local nonprofit organizations. This

process can be streamlined by enlisting the assistance of endorsers of the Food Recovery

Challenge, such as Waste Less Solutions, a local nonprofit organization which runs a food

diversion program and is committed to educating consumers and food entities about the issues

and solutions surrounding food waste (“Waste Less Solutions”).

Nonprofit “food rescuers”, such as Waste Less Solutions, recruit volunteers to pick up

food directly from grocery stores and restaurants then proceed to deliver it to their partner

organizations. This is a great program already in place, but by creating a centralized location for

not only excess wholesome food, but also food scraps, we can partner together to reach a wider

range of populations in need, as well as make a larger impact on the reduction of food waste.

Food rescuers use an app for food entities to utilize when they have excess food ready for pick

up, as well as for the receivers to request specific food donations. This same type of service

could be utilized by the Food Waste Hub to expedite the process of food donation and

redistribution.

According to the EPA, composting enriches soil, reduces the need for chemical

fertilizers, encourages the breakdown of organic material, and reduces methane emissions from
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landfills (“Composting at Home,” 2019). The compost created in the Food Waste Hub can be

distributed to local farmers, school or community gardens, and local businesses which could

benefit from it. To sustain funding for the Food Waste Hub, any excess food or compost that is

left over after donation could be sold at a discounted cost to individuals, not-for-profit and

for-profit organizations, or discount grocery stores.

Expected outcomes of the Salt Lake County Food Waste Pilot Program include: 1)

increased food donations by large businesses, 2) increased participation in the EPA’s Food

Waste Challenge by most of Salt Lake County’s more than 1,500 food handling businesses

(Yelp, 2020), 3) lower rates of food being sent to landfills as a result of increased donations and

composting, and 4) a reduction of surplus food generated due to increased education, planning,

and data-tracking of food entities, as well as an increase in food waste reporting.

Merit and Justification

Throughout history, humankind has been defined by two standard leagues: those who act

when a problem is presented, and those who do not. This is one of those times, and Salt Lake

County has the opportunity to be a forerunner in serving parts of the community that tend to be

neglected the most.

The Salt Lake County Food Waste Pilot Program directly gives resources to stimulate the

economy. Jobs will be created as there will be a need for government staff to manage the project,

sort through the produce and allocate it to the different community partners, and establish and

maintain relationships with community partners. Local nonprofit, small business, and farming

partners will also likely need to hire new staff or volunteers to manage their side of the food

transfer. Part or all of the associated cost can be covered by the provided tax incentive, which
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puts less of a strain on small businesses to partake in community and environmentally conscious

actions. There is also a new push with consumers to support businesses that implement

environmentally and socially responsible protocol. This would create a positive feedback loop

between consumers and providers to continue with the food waste program as well as finding

new ways to practice these ideals. This positive feedback loop relates directly to consumer

spending, thus allowing for the economy to expand with the primary influx of spending.

The Pilot Program also allows for less overall waste being introduced into the

environment and economy. The current nonexistent policy for food waste handling calls for

mass-production of food goods, overstimulation of farmland, mass-transportation protocols, and

massive wellness recovery programs for those negatively affected by this chain of events. By

giving a second-life to the food that would have otherwise been deemed unusable, farms will

have less pressure to overproduce and over-dispose of imperfect food items. This would allow

nutrients to remain in crop plots for longer periods of time, encourage more produce diversity,

and cut transportation and production costs. Currently, food is being transported thousands of

miles to reach grocery stores and restaurants to then be thrown away and transported long

distances again to landfills and have time and resources completely wasted in the process.

Spending to cover all the costs of growth, production, primary transportation, and detrimental

health and environmental consequences will be reduced as well. Methane released by food

rotting in landfills (Food Waste, 2016) and carbon dioxide and nitrogen released by automobiles

during transportation of food have a direct impact on air pollution (Vehicles, Air Pollution, and

Human Health). By reducing the transportation aspect of food production and reducing the
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amount of food sent to landfills, the negative health and environmental consequences can be

negated. The money that is being spent on these issues could then be used for other services.

This program also has subsequent benefits for the environment, as mentioned above. The

lowered carbon dioxide and methane emissions will reduce the amount of air pollution the Salt

Lake Valley experiences (What You Can Do, ​2017​). This will also slightly decrease the amount

of particulate matter trapped in the valley during an inversion (Inversions, ​2020​). Better air

quality would allow for more standard weather expectations, reduce the speed of environmental

warming, and allow for more inhabitants, tourists, and animals to enjoy the beauty of the county

in a healthy way. Also, by creating the opportunity for otherwise wasted food to be composted,

the soil in local areas can be refreshed and have nutrients be reintroduced for better growing

capabilities. Instead of being decimated, the soil can grow beautiful things and bring the

community to care for our land.

People’s health will also be a forefront benefit of the Pilot Program. Again, less air

pollution from transportation and rotting food in landfills will reduce the community's

experience of diseases. Diseases directly impacted by this air pollution include: Asthma, Chronic

Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Bronchitis, Emphysema, Cardiovascular Disease, Renal

Disease, and birth defects (Air Pollution and Public Health). By creating a “hub”, there is also an

opportunity for positive social experiences. Those that are involved with the success of the

program, and those that reap the benefits of the exchanges, have more of a connection to their

community’s well-being and positive mental health advancement. Studies have shown that being

involved in community building programs has a positive effect on mental health and well-being

(Volunteering and its Surprising Benefits, ​2020​). Also, the nonprofits involved will have new
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access to healthy and still deemed fresh food sources. Many times, the food that is collected by

the community to be given to nonprofits for dispersal are canned and non-perishable goods.

These are often goods that are low in nutrient variety but high in fat and caloric density, i.e. chili,

macaroni, stuffing, and other canned or easy made meals. Those in food insecure situations have

the same nutritional needs as the rest of the community. This program will allow for those in this

situation to have more variety and more healthy, nutritious, and fresh food in their diet.

Salt Lake County’s constituents deserve to have policy that benefits the greatest good in

the greatest of ways. There is a moral and ethical obligation for policies to encapsulate the health

and well-being of the people to which it applies. There is little to no policy in place at this time

in Utah that directly relates to food waste and the way it impacts citizens. This is the time for

policy to refocus and prioritize communities and their health. Food is what brings cultures to life;

it should not slowly kill communities because of environmental and social consequences. This

program brings Salt Lake County together to provide for those most in need, while creating a

celebration of environmental consciousness and resourcefulness.

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References

Air Pollution and Public Health in Utah. (n.d.). health.utah.gov. Retrieved from

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Depta, L. (2018, September). Global food waste and its environmental impact. Reset. ​Retrieved

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Food Waste, Methane and Climate Change. (2016, November 22). Retrieved from

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