FoodRescue.ca offers businesses in Caledon an easy way to cut food waste

Lucrezia Chiappetta, ecoCaledon, shares details of the FoodRescue program for business.

The Town of Caledon recently declared a climate emergency, and with long-term trends predicting a greater likelihood of extreme weather events in Caledon, there is no denying that climate change is upon us.

We all want to do our part to reduce our personal carbon footprint and help the planet heal. 

Enter a group of determined volunteers who call themselves Gratitude for Food.

Gratitude for Food is a committee of ecoCaledon, a longstanding volunteer organization in Caledon.  

Their mission is to raise awareness among individuals and businesses that reducing food waste can make a huge difference in the climate change battle.

Food waste in Canada

Did you know that in Canada more than half – some 58% -- of all the food produced is lost or wasted each year. [i]

This loss occurs through over-production, product damage, imperfect best-before labelling and wastefulness in home kitchens. [ii]

Food security

At the same time we have a food security issue.  Many people in our community cannot afford healthy food and have to rely on food banks. 

And food waste that goes to the landfill will release methane over time, a greenhouse gas that is a heavy contributor to global warming.

FoodRescue…to the rescue!

Enter FoodRescue.ca, a free online food donation platform started by Toronto-based Second Harvest.

FoodRescue.ca connects any type of food business with surplus food (or food approaching best before dates) with local non-profit organizations that want to receive and make use of that food. 

How it works

Upon creating a free account on the FoodRescue.ca website, the business, be it a restaurant, grocery store or any food retailer, can post its surplus food for donation. 

When it has a surplus, the food notifies FoodRescue and in turn a notification goes out to non-profits who need the food. 

The recipient organization then claims or “rescues” the food by picking it up at the designated time. 

The food can then be transported and stored using appropriate food handling procedures until it is used by the recipient organization in one of its programs. 

The benefits of giving

There are many benefits to becoming a FoodRescue.ca donor. 

• No liability
  The Ontario Food Donation Act protects donors from any potential liability. 

• Lower disposal costs
  Donors will see a reduction in tipping fees as less food goes to landfill.

• The satisfaction of helping people
  Donors have access to detailed metrics highlighting the number of meals they have donated, the monetary value of the food and the amount of greenhouse gases that have been diverted through the donation. 

• Marketing
  Businesses can share this information with their customers.  

Gratitude for Food members are spreading the word about the many benefits of food donation through FoodRescue.ca. 

How you can help

Contact FoodRescue.ca if you are interested in reducing food waste by donating your surplus food to others who need it. 

After a few simple clicks you can be part of the effort to help reduce food waste.

If you have any questions contact ecoCaledon at: info@ecocaledon.org