We provided the technical content for this guide developed by ReFED, a multi-stakeholder nonprofit committed to reducing the $218 billion of food waste in the United States.

The guide offers a template for restaurants to develop and embed a food waste reduction culture throughout their operations, and extend it to the consumer.

Key Restaurant Food Waste Action Guide findings include:

• Prevention solutions are the most cost-effective and could reduce annual food waste by 400,000 tons;
• Increasing recycling programs such as Centralized Composting and Anaerobic Digestion could divert 2.6 million tons of waste from landfills and reduce CO₂ emissions by 1.9 million tons; and
• Providing guests with varying portion options may reduce the amount of food diners leave uneaten, which can be as much as 17% of their meals.

More than 80 experts contributed to this guide, including the Food Waste Reduction Alliance (FWRA) and its members, four of the largest U.S. food service providers: Compass Group, Aramark, Sodexo, and Delaware North, and a host of leading restaurants across the United States. ReFED’s Advisory Council contributed valuable insights, data, and industry perspectives to inform analysis and solutions presented in the guides.

A direct link to the guide can be found at refed.com/restaurant.