<div dir="ltr"><img src="cid:ii_lpss9tw80" alt="image.png" width="196" height="75" style="margin-right: 0px;"><div>The US EPA is in the process of drafting a strategy to reduce food loss and waste.  If you are interested in this topic, there are many links below with information on this topic.  

They are asking for comments by January 4, 2024.<br><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div style="text-align:center"><img src="cid:ii_lpssn1xt1" alt="image.png" width="139" height="120"><br></div><div><div class="gmail-l-constrain" style="box-sizing:inherit;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;max-width:64rem;padding-left:2rem;padding-right:2rem;color:rgb(27,27,27);font-family:"Source Sans Pro Web","Noto Sans Arabic","Noto Sans BN homepage","Noto Sans GU homepage","Noto Sans KR homepage","Noto Sans SC homepage","Noto Sans BN","Noto Sans GU","Noto Sans KR","Noto Sans SC","Noto Sans TC","Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Arial,sans;font-size:16.96px"><h1 class="gmail-page-title" style="box-sizing:inherit;font-size:2.44rem;margin:0px 0px 1.5rem;clear:none;font-family:"Merriweather Web","Noto Sans Arabic","Noto Sans BN homepage","Noto Sans GU homepage","Noto Sans KR homepage","Noto Sans SC homepage","Noto Sans BN","Noto Sans GU","Noto Sans KR","Noto Sans SC","Noto Sans TC",Georgia,Cambria,"Times New Roman",Times,serif;line-height:1.2">Biden-Harris Administration Releases Draft National Strategy to Reduce Food Loss and Waste</h1><div class="gmail-js-toggle-admin-content" style="box-sizing:inherit"></div><p class="gmail-usa-intro" style="box-sizing:inherit;line-height:1.8;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:1rem;font-family:"Merriweather Web","Noto Sans Arabic","Noto Sans BN homepage","Noto Sans GU homepage","Noto Sans KR homepage","Noto Sans SC homepage","Noto Sans BN","Noto Sans GU","Noto Sans KR","Noto Sans SC","Noto Sans TC",Georgia,Cambria,"Times New Roman",Times,serif;font-size:1.34rem;max-width:88ex">EPA, USDA, and FDA announce steps to reduce waste and increase recycling of organics to reduce climate pollution, save families and businesses money, and support a circular economy for all.</p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;line-height:1.5;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:1rem">December 2, 2023</p><div class="gmail-field" style="box-sizing:inherit;margin-bottom:1rem"><div class="gmail-field__label" style="box-sizing:inherit;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;clear:none;font-family:"Merriweather Web","Noto Sans Arabic","Noto Sans BN homepage","Noto Sans GU homepage","Noto Sans KR homepage","Noto Sans SC homepage","Noto Sans BN","Noto Sans GU","Noto Sans KR","Noto Sans SC","Noto Sans TC",Georgia,Cambria,"Times New Roman",Times,serif;font-size:0.98rem;font-weight:700;line-height:1.2">Contact Information</div><div class="gmail-field__content" style="box-sizing:inherit"><div class="gmail-margin-bottom-1" style="box-sizing:inherit;margin-bottom:0.5rem">EPA Press Office (<a href="mailto:press@epa.gov" style="box-sizing:inherit;background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0);color:rgb(0,94,162)">press@epa.gov</a>)</div></div></div><p style="box-sizing:inherit;line-height:1.5;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:1rem"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit;font-weight:bolder"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">WASHINGTON (Dec. 2, 2023) </span></span><span style="box-sizing:inherit">– Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released the “<a href="https://www.epa.gov/circulareconomy/draft-national-strategy-reducing-food-loss-and-waste-and-recycling-organics" style="box-sizing:inherit;background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0);color:rgb(0,94,162)">Draft National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste and Recycling Organics</a>” as part of President Biden’s whole-of-government approach to tackle climate change and promote a circular economy. The draft strategy outlines specific EPA, USDA, and FDA actions to prevent the loss and waste of food and other organic wastes, reducing associated environmental impacts such as methane pollution, a potent contributor to climate change with 28 times more warming potential than carbon dioxide. EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan announced this draft national strategy during the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates as one of the United States’ key deliverables. This strategy is also a deliverable in the Biden-Harris Administration’s <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/White-House-National-Strategy-on-Hunger-Nutrition-and-Health-FINAL.pdf" style="box-sizing:inherit;background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0);color:rgb(0,94,162)">National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health</a>, released in conjunction with the historic White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health in September 2022.</span></span></span></span></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;line-height:1.5;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:1rem"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">“From day one, President Biden has been clear that tackling the climate crisis requires a comprehensive and whole-of-government approach. The release of this draft national strategy for food loss and waste is an important step forward in this effort to protect people and the planet,” <span style="box-sizing:inherit;font-weight:bolder">said EPA Administrator Regan</span>. “Reducing food loss and waste is one of the most impactful actions we can take to reduce climate pollution and build a circular economy. Working together with our partners at USDA and FDA, we will take actions to significantly reduce waste and the pollution that comes with it while improving our food system and boosting the economy.” </span></span></span></span></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;line-height:1.5;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:1rem"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">Recent EPA <a href="https://www.epa.gov/land-research/food-waste-research" style="box-sizing:inherit;background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0);color:rgb(0,94,162)">research</a> demonstrates that while total emissions from municipal solid waste landfills are decreasing, methane emissions from landfilled food waste are increasing, and 58 percent of methane emissions released to the atmosphere from landfills are from food waste. The draft strategy aims to prevent and divert organic waste from landfills to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and highlights opportunities, especially where communities have been underserved and overburdened, to build community-scale organics recycling infrastructure, reduce pollution, and create jobs.  </span></span></span></span></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;line-height:1.5;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:1rem"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">The draft strategy drives progress toward the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-management-food/united-states-2030-food-loss-and-waste-reduction-goal" style="box-sizing:inherit;background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0);color:rgb(0,94,162)">National Food Loss and Waste Reduction Goal</a> to reduce the loss and waste of food by 50 percent by 2030. In addition, it supports the <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/US-Methane-Emissions-Reduction-Action-Plan-1.pdf" style="box-sizing:inherit;background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0);color:rgb(0,94,162)">U.S. Methane Emissions Reduction Action Plan</a>. Because methane is both a powerful GHG and short-lived compared to carbon dioxide, achieving significant reductions would have a rapid and significant effect on reducing GHG emissions.   </span></span></span></span></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;line-height:1.5;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:1rem"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">The draft strategy features four objectives: </span></span></span></span></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;line-height:1.5;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:1rem"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">•  Objective 1: Prevent the loss of food where possible. </span></span></span></span></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;line-height:1.5;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:1rem"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">•  Objective 2: Prevent the waste of food where possible.</span></span></span></span></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;line-height:1.5;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:1rem"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">•  Objective 3: Increase the recycling rate for all organic waste. </span></span></span></span></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;line-height:1.5;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:1rem"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">•  Objective 4: Support policies that incentivize and encourage food loss and waste prevention and organics recycling.</span></span></span></span></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;line-height:1.5;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:1rem"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">For each objective, the strategy highlights actions that EPA, FDA, or USDA could take. Examples of specific EPA actions include: </span></span></span></span></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;line-height:1.5;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:1rem"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">•  Develop and lead a national campaign to teach consumers how reduce food waste.</span></span></span></span></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;line-height:1.5;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:1rem"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">•  Test innovative approaches to reducing food waste across the supply chain.</span></span></span></span></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;line-height:1.5;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:1rem"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">•  Support the development of additional organics recycling infrastructure through grants and other assistance for all communities, and </span></span></span></span><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">especially those that are underserved.</span></span></span></span></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;line-height:1.5;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:1rem"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">•  Expand the market for products made from recycled organic waste.</span></span></span></span></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;line-height:1.5;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:1rem"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit;background-color:rgb(255,255,0)">Read the “<a href="https://www.epa.gov/circulareconomy/draft-national-strategy-reducing-food-loss-and-waste-and-recycling-organics" style="box-sizing:inherit;color:rgb(0,94,162)">Draft National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste and Recycling Organics</a>.”</span></span></span></span></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;line-height:1.5;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:1rem"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit;background-color:rgb(255,255,0)">EPA welcomes comments on the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/circulareconomy/draft-national-strategy-reducing-food-loss-and-waste-and-recycling-organics" style="box-sizing:inherit;color:rgb(0,94,162)">strategy</a> for 30 days at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov/" style="box-sizing:inherit;color:rgb(0,94,162)">Regulations.gov</a>, Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OLEM-2022-0415.</span></span></span></span></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;line-height:1.5;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:1rem"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit;font-weight:bolder"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">Background </span></span></span></span></span></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;line-height:1.5;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:1rem"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">In the U.S., more than one-third (nearly 100 million tons per year) of the municipal waste stream is organic waste, of which food is the majority. Wasting food impacts the climate, releases air pollutants, contributes to water scarcity and biodiversity loss, and degrades soil and water quality. </span></span></span></span></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;line-height:1.5;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:1rem"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">•  1/3 of all available food goes uneaten. (USDA)</span></span></span></span></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;line-height:1.5;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:1rem"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">•  24% of municipal solid waste in landfills is food waste. (EPA)</span></span></span></span></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;line-height:1.5;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:1rem"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">•  Globally, food loss and waste represent 8 percent of anthropogenic GHG emissions (4.4 gigatons of carbon dioxide equivalent annually). (UN)</span></span></span></span></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;line-height:1.5;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:1rem"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">•  58 percent of methane emissions released to the atmosphere from municipal solid waste landfills is from food waste. (EPA)</span></span></span></span></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;line-height:1.5;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:1rem"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">•  In the U.S., the average family of four spends $1,500 each year on food that ends up uneaten. (USDA)</span></span></span></span></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;line-height:1.5;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:1rem"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">In addition to the release of this draft national strategy, earlier this year, EPA announced nearly $200 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding through the Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling program, as well as Recycling Education and Outreach grants, which is the largest federal investment in recycling in 30 years. Over $83 million of the new funding will support projects that include organics recycling, composting, or anaerobic digestion. The activities outlined in these projects are critical in mitigating the effects of climate change.</span></span></span></span></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;line-height:1.5;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:1rem"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit;font-weight:bolder"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">Learn more about: </span></span></span></span></span></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;line-height:1.5;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:1rem"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">•  <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-management-food" style="box-sizing:inherit;background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0);color:rgb(0,94,162)">Sustainable management of food</a>.</span></span></span></span></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;line-height:1.5;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:1rem"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">•  <a href="https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/food-material-specific-data" style="box-sizing:inherit;background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0);color:rgb(0,94,162)">Food: material specific data</a>. </span></span></span></span></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;line-height:1.5;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:1rem"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">•  <a href="https://www.epa.gov/circulareconomy/what-circular-economy" style="box-sizing:inherit;background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0);color:rgb(0,94,162)">EPA’s work to promote a circular economy</a>. </span></span></span></span></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;line-height:1.5;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:1rem"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">•  <a href="https://www.usda.gov/foodlossandwaste" style="box-sizing:inherit;background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0);color:rgb(0,94,162)">USDA’s work to prevent food loss and waste</a>.</span></span></span></span></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;line-height:1.5;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:1rem"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">•  <a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/consumers/food-loss-and-waste" style="box-sizing:inherit;background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0);color:rgb(0,94,162)">FDA’s work to prevent food loss and waste</a>. </span></span></span></span></p><p style="box-sizing:inherit;line-height:1.5;margin-bottom:1rem;margin-top:1rem"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit"><span style="box-sizing:inherit">•  <a href="https://www.epa.gov/infrastructure/bipartisan-infrastructure-law-transforming-us-recycling-and-waste-management" style="box-sizing:inherit;background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0);color:rgb(0,94,162)">Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: Transforming U.S. Recycling and Waste Management.</a></span></span></span></span></p></div><div class="gmail-l-page__footer" style="box-sizing:inherit;background-color:rgb(237,239,240);margin-top:2rem;padding-bottom:2rem;padding-top:2rem;color:rgb(27,27,27);font-family:"Source Sans Pro Web","Noto Sans Arabic","Noto Sans BN homepage","Noto Sans GU homepage","Noto Sans KR homepage","Noto Sans SC homepage","Noto Sans BN","Noto Sans GU","Noto Sans KR","Noto Sans SC","Noto Sans TC","Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Arial,sans;font-size:16.96px"><div class="gmail-l-constrain" style="box-sizing:inherit;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;max-width:64rem;padding-left:2rem;padding-right:2rem;margin-bottom:0px;display:flex;width:1024px"><div class="gmail-l-page__footer-contact" style="box-sizing:inherit"><a href="https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/forms/contact-us" style="box-sizing:inherit;background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0);color:rgb(0,94,162);margin-bottom:0px">Contact Us</a> to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem.</div><div class="gmail-l-page__footer-last-updated" style="box-sizing:inherit;font-size:0.87rem;line-height:1.2;margin-top:0px;text-transform:uppercase;margin-left:1rem;margin-bottom:0px">LAST UPDATED ON DECEMBER 2, 2023</div></div></div></div></div></div>