Tons of food is wasted in the United States—80 million tons, to be exact. According to Feeding America, a Chicago-based nonprofit, that means 38% of all food in the U.S. is wasted. Forty-four million individuals facing hunger never even see a bite of that food.

Hope is not lost when it comes to fighting food waste, though. For example, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency offers grants to assist “visionary organizations" with achieving their environmental goals—including those that seek to remedy the food waste problem. In the fall of 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a $25 million dollar investment to further bolster projects that prevent and reduce food loss and waste. The money will specifically expand core programs of the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, which has committed roughly $123 million across 527 projects related to food loss and waste since 2017.

Those on the local level are waging war against food waste too, especially at Irvine, California’s own Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County. This food bank is tackling food insecurity, social inequity and environmental stewardship with zero waste efforts that have earned the organization a TRUE certification—rendering Orange County’s Second Harvest branch the first food bank in the world to achieve this feat.

“Our staff was thrilled,” says Chrislynn VanSkiver, the chief operating officer of Second Harvest’s Orange County branch. A TRUE case study confirms this, listing the involvement of 95 staff members in the years-long zero waste undertaking as one of the biggest wins to come out of certification endeavors.

“We didn’t believe many food banks had worked towards this certificate in our initial research, but when we were finished and learned we were the first in the world, we definitely felt a sense of accomplishment,” VanSkiver says.

VanSkiver adds that she’s also much more cognizant of how to reduce her waste and what waste she can divert from going into the landfill. Diverting food from landfills has been an integral aspect of Second Harvest of Orange County’s zero waste operations philosophy since 1983, she says.

“We provide good-quality food to the community, and we will never sacrifice that to divert food from landfill,” says VanSkiver. The community VanSkiver refers to is composed of children, senior citizens, working families, college students and individuals combating the high cost of living in Orange County. They're served by the food bank's community partners, which range from houses of worship to soup kitchens to transitional housing facilities.

Description for alt text — A view of the Second Harvest of Orange County storage area for food bank items, waste and recyclables. Photo credit: Vanessa Lopez.

Second Harvest’s Orange County branch distributed 36,285,023 pounds of food to the community in 2023. To put this number in perspective with the national statistics, that’s 18,142 tons of food distributed over the course of a year. The food bank is able to serve its community in this capacity by keeping close tabs on inventory, ensuring that food is fresh and edible when it reaches the hungry.

“If it’s no longer good for ourselves, our community, we will not distribute it,” says VanSkiver. “But we do send it to an organics waste recycler,” she adds.

The team’s first conversations around zero waste began at the end of 2020. VanSkiver explains that as staff evaluated how to work on making the food bank’s operations more sustainable, it became clear that TRUE was the best structure for the organization to use as it sought to enact change. TRUE helped guide the food bank in a methodical way, giving Second Harvest of Orange County the “ability to stair-step our reduction in waste,” VanSkiver says.

Surprising statistics emerged once the certification process kicked off, says VanSkiver, such as the food bank’s diversion rate data showing as below 70% at the beginning of certification efforts.

“We have several closed loop systems in our daily workflows,” VanSkiver says, “so we thought our original diversion rate would be higher.”

A man in an orange reflective vest sorts plastic wrap for recycling — James Ray sorts packaging for recycling at Second Harvest of Orange County. Photo credit: Vanessa Lopez.

After making improvements in line with TRUE, Second Harvest of Orange County’s diversion rate sits at more than 95% today. This rate is directly linked to several of the food bank’s robust systems and initiatives. Composting food scraps that can’t be eaten contributes to nutritious soil used by farmers. Raw material usage is curbed by reusing banana boxes, corrugated bins and pallets. Some materials return to the community via Goodwill donations. Recycling—specifically local, to support community businesses and industries—helps Orange County’s economy as well as the planet.

Additional improvements include reducing Second Harvest of Orange County’s paper consumption; providing staff with reusable coffee mugs, water bottles and silverware; working with environmentally friendly vendors and partners; and assigning a zero waste leadership role to Kelly Alesi, the supply chain director for the Orange County branch.

On her role as a sustainability leader for the branch, Alesi says her focus was on assessing waste generated by various food streams every day and strategizing ways to minimize that waste. Alesi says she’s “immensely proud” of the measures the food bank took to reach its zero waste goals. Meticulous attention to tracking, documentation and information transfers were just some of the base requirements the Second Harvest of Orange County team collaborated on daily to make TRUE certification a certainty for the food bank.

“This project was significant, demanding adjustments to numerous processes. However, it underscores our team's ability to enact substantial changes that benefit both the community and the environment,” Alesi says.

One crucial partner for the team was waste management and sustainability consulting firm All About Waste, which played a large part in facilitating Second Harvest of Orange County’s successful implementation of TRUE benchmarks and ensuring that food bank’s documentation was credit-worthy for the TRUE certificate.

Jugs of milk in crates — Fresh fruit and milk waiting to be served to community members of the food bank. Photo credit: Vanessa Lopez.

Watermelons in a large bin. — Fresh fruit and milk waiting to be served to community members of the food bank. Photo credit: Vanessa Lopez.

“We would not have been able to get certified without [All About Waste’s] help, and specifically all the support and time that [All About Waste’s senior project manager and TRUE advisor] Emily DeCremer provided to us,” says VanSkiver. She elaborates that DeCremer aided the food bank with project management, TRUE submission review and deliverables, in addition to providing guidance when the Orange County team wasn't 100% positive on how to approach their TRUE certification credit categories.

All About Waste took on Second Harvest of Orange County’s project pro bono, with DeCremer describing the food bank’s zero waste mission as one of the most deserving TRUE certification projects she and her team have ever encountered. She calls the branch’s dedication unique, since “reducing spoilage and waste means more people can be fed.”

“Second Harvest Food Bank’s passion for zero waste mirrors their passion for feeding the hungry in Orange County,” DeCremer says. DeCremer and her team at All About Waste still find themselves inspired by Second Harvest of Orange County, even though their involvement with the food bank has come to an end.

Now that the branch possesses knowledge about how to best approach the TRUE certification process, it can disseminate vital information to other food banks looking to earn their own TRUE certifications. VanSkiver confirmed that a fellow food bank has already contacted Second Harvest of Orange County for advice.

“Food banks don’t gatekeep, and we love sharing and working with the network,” VanSkiver says.

Four people smile at the camera, holding an award plaque — Left to right: Denise Braun, Chrislynn VanSkiver, Kelly Alesi and Emily DeCremer at the USGBC Los Angeles Green Gala. Photo credit: USGBC Los Angeles.

She recommends that other food banks start by rounding up a team and information-gathering about TRUE and the core concepts behind zero waste. VanSkiver cites the TRUE Advisor certificate as a great place to start.

“I would definitely coach anyone looking to do this, especially a nonprofit, to understand it’s a long process and doesn’t happen overnight,” says VanSkiver. In total, the process of going zero waste, from ideation to finish, took around two years for Second Harvest of Orange County.

In December 2023, the branch won another accolade: a USGBC Los Angeles chapter 2023 Sustainable Innovation and Community Awards honor in the Zero Waste and Circular Solutions category. Fast-forward to February 2024, and VanSkiver has her eyes on a new prize: a three-year strategic plan that she hopes will incorporate steps for Second Harvest of Orange County’s ascension to the next level of TRUE certification, she says.

“Many new initiatives and processes take time to develop, implement and sustain,” VanSkiver says. In the meantime, Second Harvest of Orange County has mouths to feed and a dream for an Orange County “with food and nutritional security for all.”

California food bank tackles hunger with zero waste