Riverside Food Waste Prevention and Food Rescue Initiative
Published: 05/17/2018
Riverside Food Waste Prevention and Food Rescue Initiative
Did you know an estimated 40 PERCENT OF FOOD GROWN ENDS UP IN OUR TRASH? It eventually makes its way to the landfill where in the decomposition process, releases volumes of greenhouse gases. Most climate scientists agree the main cause of the current global warming trends is the result of human activities that are contributing large quantities of certain gases, some of which comes from the decomposition of organic materials, such as food waste and the burning of fossil fuels.
To address food waste in our community, the City of Riverside, along with its partners, the Riverside Food Systems Alliance and the Riverside Food Co-op, were awarded a grant from California’s Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) to create the Riverside Food Waste Prevention and Food Rescue Initiative. The program will provide tools and training for the community to encourage food waste prevention and food rescue activities in three key categories:
- Public Outreach – The raising of awareness of financial, social and environmental impacts of food waste and providing solutions for the community.
- Food Rescue & Waste Prevention Ambassador Certification Program – The training of four groups of 25-30 participants over a 40-hour Food Rescue & Waste Prevention Ambassador Certification Program, where they will learn about a variety of topics about the life cycle of food.
- Food Rescue and Distribution – The development of an online exchange platform to assist food donors (restaurants, farms, grocery stores) and food recipients (food pantries, food banks, homeless shelters) to rescue edible food to serve those in need across the community.
Want to volunteer for the FREE Food Rescue & Waste Prevention Ambassador Certification Program? Stay tuned for volunteer announcements. For more information, contact the Solid Waste Division at (951) 351-6174.
The Riverside Food Waste Prevention and Food Rescue Initiative is a project of the GrowRIVERSIDE Initiative, a regional collaborative with a mission to develop and maintain an equitable, healthy and sustainable food system in Riverside. For more information, visit GrowRIV.com.
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