National Stop Food Waste Day is today, and Ann Arbor’s Food Gatherers shares their efforts in reducing the amount of food disposed of locally.
According to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, a person wastes one pound of food every day. Ann Arbor is estimated to generate as much daily food waste as its population of over 120,000.
Markell Miller is the Director of Food Gatherers’ Community Food Program. She says Food Gatherers rescues 8,600 pounds of food every day, with their largest sources of food recovery coming from retailers and local farms.
“Sometimes they have extra, or it’s getting close to when it needs to be sold by. We can pick it up and bring it back to our warehouse, sort it for safety, and get it back out.”
Miller says locals can minimize food waste by creating meal plans and purchasing only the items on their grocery lists. She adds that if residents have unopened, unexpired food at home that they cannot consume, Food Gatherers can redistribute that food to local pantries.
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