Learn about some food recovery alternatives in the Los Angeles (LA) area. EPA’s Food Recovery Hierarchy prioritizes these food waste strategies from most to least preferable.

• Source Reduction
• Feed Hungry People (Donations)
• Feed Animals
• Industrial Uses
• Composting

Source Reduction

Source reduction is the strategy of preventing food from becoming waste in the first place. There are many resources available to tackle source reduction:

• U.S. EPA Food Recovery Website
  • Food and Packaging Waste Prevention Tool (spreadsheet): Tracks the amount and reasons specific foods are wasted.
  • Reducing Wasted Food & Packaging: A Guide for Food Services and Restaurants: Provides guidance on using the prevention tool tracking results to save money and reduce waste.
  • Food Waste Assessment Guidebook: Shows how to do a one-time snapshot wasted food assessment.

• National Restaurant Association ConServe Program: Provides resources and tools to help restaurants through each step of a food waste reduction program; provides videos to accompany many of the EPA resources listed above.
• Leanpath: Company assists food service operations in reducing food waste, website provides many free tools, videos and case studies.

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Feed Hungry People (Donations)

The resources below include national, regional and local organizations which take food donations in the Los Angeles area. Most take non-perishables, and some accept surplus perishable foods. Be prepared to describe your donations in terms of packaging, preparation, frequency and type. The LA County Department of Public Health provides a fact sheet on Guidelines for Safe Food Donation (PDF)(3 pp, 597 K, About PDF).

• Burbank Green Alliance
  Resources in the Burbank area for Zero Waste Food Service for food service organizations especially within the entertainment industry.
• Chefs to End Hunger
  Formed by LA and SF Specialty Bakeries that provides businesses with kits containing delivery boxes, pads and aluminum pans to fill with donation food. Once the kit is filled and packed, they can be given to a Specialty Bakery Driver where the boxes will be consolidated and donated to a food bank.
• Food Finders
  Food Finders is a multiregional food bank and food rescue program headquartered in Signal Hill, CA. Volunteers and staff pick up donated food from grocery stores, bakeries, restaurants and produce markets and distribute it directly to missions, shelters and social service agencies on a same-day basis.
• Food Forward
  Food Forward fights hunger and prevents food waste by rescuing fresh surplus produce, connecting this abundance with people in need, and inspiring others to do the same. Staff and volunteers collect fresh fruits and vegetables that would normally go to waste from backyard fruit trees, public orchards, farmers markets, and the downtown Los Angeles Wholesale Produce Market. All of the recovered produce is donated to hunger relief agencies across eight counties in Southern California, helping to feed 1.75 million people each year.
• L.A. County Food Redistribution Initiative (LACFRI)
  LACFRI is a county project that began in June 2016 to foster the donation of wholesome, surplus foods to those in need. LACFRI provides resources on how and where to donate surplus food, L.A. County food donation guidelines, and liability protections.
• LA Kitchen
  works directly with local farmers and wholesale produce companies to collect fruits and vegetables that are unsalable due to cosmetic issues or lack of commercial demand. All donations and purchases are processed at central hub for distribution or storage for use at a later date.
• MEND – Meet Each Need with Dignity
  MEND’s Emergency Food Bank distributes millions of pounds of food annually. Services are provided in Pacoima and throughout dozens of smaller pantries at community and faith-based organizations in LA County. Staff and volunteers pick up food from supermarkets, churches, schools, businesses, and other organizations. MEND also receives food from the LA Regional Food Bank. Wrap-around services and referrals to partner agencies support our clients’ healthy lifestyles.
• Urban Harvester
  Urban Harvester’s Food Recovery Program brings business with fresh excess food and communities in need together; making a sustainable and compassionate difference.    Contact: info@urbanharvester.org

In Los Angeles and Elsewhere

• New Legal Guide

  New legal guide on Federal Enhanced Tax Deduction for Food Donation

  (1) LIABILITY OF PERSON OR GLEANER – A person or gleaner shall not be subject to civil or criminal liability arising from the nature, age, packaging, or condition of apparently wholesome food or an apparently fit grocery product that the person or gleaner donates in good faith to a nonprofit organization for ultimate distribution to needy individuals.
  - Courtesy of the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Act

  Rock and Wrap It Up!
  Matches vetted charities with eligible donors of perishable food including entertainment venues, hotels, K-12 schools and colleges, sports teams, and hospitals. Offers the free “Whole Earth Calculator” to convert pounds of food to pounds of CO2 equivalent (CO2e).
• California Food Banks Farms to Families Program
  Growers and packers can now receive a tax credit for donating produce to food banks, and in some cases CAFB can provide reimbursement for special picking and packing costs.
• Sustainable America
  Locate Food Rescue organizations.
• ReFed Innovator Database
  The Database is a living compilation of commercial and nonprofit entities turning the food waste problem into an opportunity for economic, social, and environmental impacts. This growing database is broken down by food waste solution type, organizational status, and geographic reach. Categories include secondary marketplaces that connect surplus food (food that would otherwise be wasted) to buyers. Food product creation organizations convert edible food that is currently considered waste (e.g., surplus/cosmetically challenged produce, brewery waste, vegetable trimmings) into value-added consumer food products (e.g., juices, fruit snacks, energy bars). The Database also list variety of food recovery organizations that capture edible food that would otherwise go to waste on farms, within the supply chain, or in consumer-facing businesses, and redistributes it to food insecure populations.
• Food Pantries - Many have varying or limited capabilities for storing food donations and therefore limit the types or timing of donations. It’s often best to contact several to determine which can use your donations. Below are links to find local food pantries.
  • The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank has more than 350 organizations listed on its “Pantry Locator” (self reported and updated annually).
  • Ample Harvest: Find a pantry near you on this non-profit's website
  • Food Pantries.org: See a list of California food pantries on this non-profit's website. The following food pantries may accept perishable donations:

• Food Banks: Regional food banks work with local food pantries, homeless shelters and other charities for food donation. While many food banks are unable to accept perishable and prepared food, they often work with donors to find options nearby they don’t accept. Listed below, are the main food banks in the Los Angeles area.

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Feed Animals

Pig/Hog Farms

Large pig farms may accept food scraps. The Federal Swine Health Protection Act requires that food containing, or that comes in contact with meat or animal materials must be boiled before being fed to pigs. Consequently, many local pig farmers are primarily interested in single-stream fruits and vegetables or grain waste. Arrangements are often informal, and can be intermittent.

Spent Brewery Grain

Spent brewery grain can be used as animal feed, primarily for cattle, but also for pigs, goats, fish and almost any livestock. Most breweries give the grain away to local farms. Manufacturers with single food waste streams can find local farms and ranches to donate their excess/by-product.

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Industrial Uses

Fats, oils and grease, also known as FOG, can be converted to fuels and has various industrial uses. FOG and food scraps can also be anaerobically digested to create energy and the digestate can be composted to create a soil amendment. Los Angeles area options and resources include:

• Biogas Food Waste Systems
• CalRecycle's List of Anaerobic Digestion Projects in California (PDF)(1 pp, 134 K, About PDF) in California includes facilities that are currently operational, under construction, and in the permitting phase; includes feedstock used/accepted.

The table below includes all facilities in the Los Angeles area including those listed on the CalRecycle list:

Biodiesel/Biofuels

• Geogreen Biofuels
  • 6011 Malburg Way, Vernon, CA 90058; (323) 826-9753
  • Offers FOG pickup and currently uses a small amount of waste vegetable oil mixed with other sources in biodiesel production.

• Biodico
  • National Environmental Test Site at Naval Base Ventura County in Port Hueneme, CA.; (805) 683-8103
  • Offers FOG pickup from restaurants in northern Los Angeles County and Ventura County.

FOG Collection/Biofuel

• Baker Commodities Inc.
  • 4020 Bandini Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90023; (323) 268-2801
  • Collects FOG.
  • Provides collection containers; one-time $30 registration fee.

• Co-West Commodities
  • 9 West Mill St., San Bernardino, CA 92410; (909) 383-8341
  • Collects animal by-products, FOG.
  • Provides collection containers; $20 per pick-up for mixed materials.

• Darling International Inc.
  • 2626 E 25th St., Los Angeles, CA 90058; (323) 583-6311
  • Collects animal by-products, FOG.
  • Provides collection containers.

• Frailich Commodities
  • 4020 Bandini Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90023; (323) 265-3477 (same address and location as Baker Commodities, but separate company)
  • Collects animal by-products, FOG.
  • Provides collection containers.

• GeoGreen Biofuels
  • 6011 Malburg Way, Vernon, CA 90058, (323) 826-9753
  • Collects used vegetable oil.
  • Provides containers and refines into biodiesel and other products.

• West Coast Rendering
  • 4105 Bandini Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90023; (323) 261-4176
  • Offers drop-off location for animal by-products, FOG.
  • Collects food waste from hotels and large food waste generators.

• Southwest Processors
  • 4120 Bandini Blvd, Vernon, CA 90058; (323) 269-9876
  • Collects animal by-products, FOG.

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Food Scraps Composting

Composting turns food scraps into a nutrient-rich soil amendments and can be done on site in smaller amounts or on a larger scale at a municipal or commercial level.

• Los Angeles Department of Public Works Individual Composting Program Information
• Burbank Green Alliance
  Resources in the Burbank area for Zero Waste Food Service for food service organizations especially within the entertainment industry.
• Culver City
  Our new Food Waste and Organics Recycling Program makes it easy for businesses to reduce the amount of trash going to landfills by recycling food waste and other organics.
• LA County Waste Reduction Tips for Eating Establishments (PDF)(4 pp, 80 K, About PDF)
  Includes a list of L.A.-area food banks, food scraps recyclers and rendering companies.

Food Waste Recycling Collectors

• Athens Services
  • (877) 278-2220
  • Serves cities of Los Angeles, West Hollywood, and Redondo Beach
  • Provides collection of all food (including meat and dairy), paper products, plant trimmings, wood, compostable serving-ware, and waxed cardboard.
  • Certified processor for the City of Los Angeles’ Commercial Food Waste Recycling Program

• Community Recycling & Resource Recovery
  • 9147 De Garmo Ave., Sun Valley, CA 91352; (818) 767-6000
  • Provides collection of grocery store waste including produce trim and cull, meats, waxed cardboard boxes, spoiled foods.
  • Operates a transfer station and provides collection for large quantity generators throughout Los Angeles County; charges for collection and drop-off.

• Crown Disposal
  • Sun Valley, California 91353; (818) 767-0675
  • Delivers to Community Recycling for composting.
  • Provides collection in East Valley and West Valley areas.

• Dext Co.
  • 9112 Graham Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90002; (323) 564-5871
  • Provides collection of grain-based products, including bakery goods, pasta, noodles, etc. throughout Los Angeles County.

• Feed Commodities
  • 1163 Belmont St., Ontario, CA 91761; (909) 923-3314
  • Provides collection of grain-based products, including bakery goods, pasta, noodles, etc. throughout Los Angeles County.

• Hogg Brothers
  • 13377 Grove St., Ontario, CA 91761; (909) 947-2821
  • Provides collection of grain-based products, including bread, tortillas, pasta, noodles, and other foods such as potatoes, onions etc. Also has drop-off location.

• Martin Feed & Cattle
  • 7080 Summer Ave., Corona, CA 91761; (909) 737-6017
  • Provides collection of grain-based products, including bread, tortillas, pasta, noodles, and other foods such as potatoes, onions etc. Call for current charges or prices paid.

• Standard Feed
  • 13751 South Haven Ave., Ontario, CA 91761; (909) 947-3738
  • Provides collection of grain-based products, including bread, tortillas, pasta, noodles, and other foods such as potatoes, and onions. Offers some drop-off locations.

• West Coast Recycling
  • 4105 Bandini Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90023; (323) 261-4176
  • Drop-off location for animal by-products, grease, fat, and bones.
  • Provides collection of food waste to hotels and large food waste generators. Call for current charges.

Food Waste Composters

• American Organics
  Composts food waste from Athens Services.
  • Victor Valley Facility, 20055 Shay Road, Victorville, CA 92394; (760) 246-7946
• Community Recycling & Resource Recovery
  Composts food scraps from Crown Disposal.
  • 1261 North Wheeler Ridge Road, Lamont, CA 93241; (661) 845-4056
  • 9189 De Garmo Avenue, Sun Valley, CA 91352; (818) 767-6000
• Waste Management/Waste Transfer and Recycling
  • 840 S. Mission Rd., Los Angeles, CA 90023; (323) 262-9699

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Los Angeles Food Recovery Successes

Los Angeles Unified School District donates up to 21,000 uneaten meals each day to nonprofit organizations that feed the hungry. L.A. Unified serves 650,000 meals a day at about 1,000 locations and leftovers include packaged foods such as granola bars or cereal, entrées, fruit, vegetables and milk. L.A. Unified expects about 200 agencies eventually will take part. Read more about this in an LA Times article.

University of California (U.C.) Los Angeles Dining Services recover left over produce, prepared food, eggs, and milk from large student events for donation to the Los Angeles Food Bank and Los Angeles Mission. In September 2014, Dining Services donated over 1,300 lbs and more than 2,200 turkey wraps, cookies, and sliders from the 2014 New Student Welcome BBQ. In September 2013, Dining Services donated 386 lbs. of food left over from the New Student Welcome BBQ. In December 2012, 8,200 pounds of left over produce were donated as part of the Winter Break shut down. Learn more on their website.

Waste Management collects food scraps from restaurants, grocery stores, hotels, and food processing plants, and takes them to its facility in Carson City for grinding into a slurry. The slurry is then taken to a Los Angeles County wastewater treatment plant, where it is mixed in with sewage in anaerobic digesters to produces biogas for energy production.

Several Los Angeles breweries, Eagle Rock Brewery, San Pedro Brewing Golden Road Brewing, and Belmont Brewing donate spent grain to farmers and schools for feed for horses, cattle, and pigs.

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