New England Businesses Join Food Recovery Challenge

Ten New England educational, healthcare and other business institutions have become members of the EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge (FRC), a national initiative aimed at encouraging businesses, organizations and institutions to prevent food waste.

The 10 new participants are: Boston Medical Center, (Boston, Mass.); Colby College, (Waterville, Maine); Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, (Boston, Mass.); Fairview Hospital, (Great Barrington, Mass.); Framingham State University, (Framingham, Mass.); Massachusetts Maritime Academy, (Buzzards Bay, Mass.); Parkland Medical Center, (Derry, N.H.); Stratton Mountain Resort, (Stratton Mountain, Vt.); University of Massachusetts at Lowell, (Lowell, Mass.) and; Signature Breads (Chelsea, Mass.).

The New England businesses join some 800 participants including Whole Foods, MGM Resorts and the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team that have already committed to at least a 5 percent increase in at least one of the three food diversion categories: prevention, donation or composting. Or alternatively, FRC members can commit to a combined 5 percent increase across all three food waste diversion categories.

Food makes up 21 percent of Americans’ trash, according to the EPA.

Last month nine colleges joined the FRC.