How do I donate my unused food to a food access location?

Your home food scraps are not generally donatable. They can however be re-used to make dishes for your family. If you have unopened food that is wholesome and healthy you can consider donating them directly to a local food pantry or you can use them to make a meal for a soup kitchen. Having a relationship with a food access point is important. You’ll better understand the needs of your community and how to best help those in need. 

Commercial and restaurant food service providers: learn how to donate your food here: Food Donation Guidelines.

Show All Answers

1. Who is the largest contributor of food waste?
2. What’s the most important thing I can do to reduce my food waste?
3. How do I safely preserve my leftovers?
4. Why is food waste a problem?
5. How do I donate my unused food to a food access location?
6. Is it safe to cook with leftovers?
7. Where can I take a cooking class?
8. How can I learn to safely store and preserve my food?
9. Why can’t we compost meat or dairy at home?
10. Where are community compost/scrap drop-off locations, how do I sign up?
11. What’s the cost of food waste?
12. How do I keep my food scraps from smelling in my house before pick-up/drop-off?
13. Can we compost utensils/bags/plates that say “compostable”? If not, why?
14. What kind of container is best for holding food scraps?
15. What is the benefit of composting?
16. How is compost helpful for my garden?
17. Are there services that pick-up food scraps from multi-family homes?
18. What’s the difference between compost and dirt?
19. Can I compost my dog, cat, rabbit, pet manure?
20. Where are my scraps taken and composted in the community? Does it smell?
21. What happens to food in a landfill?