This VORS 2024 session provides an overview of EPA activities related to the sustainable management of food and recycling of organics at the national level, including EPA’s Wasted Food Scale, the National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste and Recycling Organics, and research on the environmental impacts of food waste management, the benefits of compost use, and more.

Presenters:

• Julianna Beecher, EPA

• Lana Coppolino Suárez, EPA

• Amy Delorenzo, EPA

Video time stamps:

• 00:00-02:34 Introduction by Natasha Duarte, CAV Director

• 02:34-53:00 Presentation by Julianna Beecher, Lana Coppolino Suárez, and Amy Delorenzo, EPA

• 53:00-01:26:18 Q&A and discussion

• Download the slide deck (pdf)

Resources shared:

• Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling Grant Program (EPA SWIFR)

• Consumer Recycling Education and Outreach Grant Program (EPA)

• EPA's Sustainable Management of Food webpage (you can sign up for the newsletter at the bottom of the page!)

• Composting for Multi-Family Units shared by Illinois Food Scrap & Composting Coalition

• Educating Youth About Wasted Food (EPA)

• Washington School Food Share Program Toolkit (EPA)

• For EPA Region 1 states, funding for work with schools (mostly through NGOs) through the Healthy Communities Grant Program for New England.  Look for this opportunity to open later this summer. See some successful grantees here.

• FoodKeeper App from FoodSafety.gov

• Two recorded webinars on Behavior change from VORS 2022