It’s not your imagination: your grocery bill has gone up and food prices have risen substantially. Many Americans are feeling the squeeze of the increased costs as food prices continue to rise and food budgets are stretched to their limits.

Since the initial pandemic shutdowns in 2020, food systems globally and nationwide have struggled to adapt to disrupted production and delayed distribution. In addition to all of this, the invasion of Ukraine and subsequent international sanctions on Russia mean that some of the top wheat producers are exporting a fraction of what they used to. 

Let’s take a look at some of the consequences of these events on the U.S. food system up close. 

In 2020, food-at-home (food you purchase at a grocery store) increased in cost across all food categories by 3.5% on average. The biggest increases in cost were beef and veal, pork, and poultry, increasing at 9.6%, 6.3% and 5.6% in cost, respectively. 

This trend continued in 2021 with food prices again increasing at 3.5% on average across all food categories. Not a single category of food decreased in cost, but it’s a good time to be vegetarian! The largest difference was again beef, at a 9.3% increase. The smallest change was fresh vegetables at a 1.1% increase. 

Does it get any better in 2022? Most likely not. Looking at the current prices and food trends, the ERS predicts that food prices will still continue to rise at a similar rate in every category. The conflict in Ukraine has placed international pressure on wheat production, with farm-level wheat prices now predicted to increase between 40 and 43 percent and wholesale wheat flour prices predicted to increase between 21 and 24 percent in 2022. 

What does this mean for families dealing with food insecurity? It’s not great. The average SNAP recipient in the U.S. receives $239 per month for a household of two. That means one person is getting less than $30 a week. 

Let’s say you bring home 2 pounds of ground beef, marinara sauce, two boxes of spaghetti, a packet of deli meat, a loaf of bread, two heads of lettuce, generic cereal, and a gallon of milk. Most Americans will have maxed out their SNAP budget with that much in their grocery cart, and it’s not enough. According to the USDA’s data, the average household of two individuals between the ages of 14 to 71 spent roughly $483 on groceries in March 2022. And that doesn’t include the toiletry purchases everyone makes each trip. 

Inflation is expected to continue for a number of reasons. Ukraine and Russia produce about 30% of the world’s wheat, wheat flower, and sunflower oil, and with exports limited, the costs for these bulk items are soaring. Many products containing these ingredients are experiencing an uptick in price, and this also leads to a cost increase for animal products, as the feed these animals consume goes up in cost. To top it all off, increasing fuel prices make food transportation more costly, and the consumer ends up seeing this cost reflected in the cost of goods as well. 

That was a lot. What do we do now, knowing that grocery prices will likely just continue to increase? Aside from the common answer of sharpening your couponing skills, it’s important to use what you have! We have a list of tips for keeping food fresh and delicious on our Education page. We have blogs on reducing waste with children at home, and ways you can improve your food storage to reduce waste in your fridge and pantry.

Keep an eye out for your neighbor as well! Food insecurity can affect anyone, at any time. If you know someone experiencing food insecurity, or you yourself are struggling, call the Colorado hotline for hunger, at 855-855-4626. It’s a toll-free number with 150+ language options and can provide you with food resources and more necessary items! Our Mobile Food Markets are also up and running nearly every week, and are a great way to supplement your grocery trips. 

If you’d like to show your support for your neighbors through We Don’t Waste, check out our Get Involved page to find more ways you can help!

A big portion of food waste produced at the household level is actually edible food! Food waste isn’t just the old pizza in the back of the fridge or the cheese that’s been left to rot, but the little pieces that get shaved off of the tops, bottoms, and sides of food during food prep! Most people just assume these bits and pieces are inedible foods and sweep them into the trash, but many times the ends and stems can be used to create something delicious and can add up to many pounds of food you’re keeping out of the trash.

Carrots are a common food item in many kitchens, and the prep almost always begins with chopping off the top and shaving the outside of the carrot. Try these recipes below to creatively use the parts you may have otherwise discarded, and tag us at @WeDontWaste on Facebook and Instagram so we can see your creations!

Carrot Top Pesto

Did you know the tops of carrots are edible? Not only that, they can make a delicious addition to a pesto and help reduce your waste at home. Mix it with pasta, serve it as a dip, add it to baked smashed potatoes, toss it with white beans, or go all-in with carrots and serve it as a spread over roasted baby carrots.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 10 mins

Total Time 20 mins

Servings 4 Servings

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup packed green carrot tops (rough stems removed)
• 1 cup packed green baby spinach
• 1 large clove garlic finely chopped
• ½ cup roasted, unsalted cashews
• ½ tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

 

• Rinse the carrot top greens to dislodge any dirt. Pick out and discard any dry, yellowed, or otherwise unappetizing looking leaves. Discard tough stems.
• Place the carrot tops greens, baby spinach, chopped garlic, roasted cashews, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Pulse several times. Scrape the sides down with a rubber spatula.
• While the food processor is running, slowly pour in the olive oil in a steady stream. Scrape the sides down with a rubber spatula. Pulse until smooth.

Notes

Store the pesto in an airtight container in your fridge. It should last for up to week in the fridge, or up to 6 months in the freezer. 

What do you normally do when you have to clean a carrot? Scrub it with vegetable cleaning solution or shave off the outside? If you shave them, gather the shavings and keep them in a vegetable bag in the fridge. The shavings will keep between 2-3 weeks until you are ready to prep them for this awesome (and vitamin-packed) snack!

Sweet & Savory Carrot Chips

Carrot chips can make for the perfect potato chip substitute when you're craving something salty! The next time you have leftover carrots or shavings from a previous recipe, save them to create a delicious treat.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 40 mins

Course Snack

Servings 8

Ingredients

  

• 2 lb carrot
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 tbsp sea salt
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line several large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
• If you've saved the carrot shavings from another recipe, skip this step. Otherwise, trim the carrot tops off and save them for your pesto. Starting on the thick end, slice the carrots paper-thin on the bias to create elongated slices.
• Place the carrot slices in a large bowl and add the oil, salt, cumin, and cinnamon. Toss well to thoroughly coat. Then lay the slices in a single layer on the baking sheets.
• Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the edges start to curl up and turn crisp. Then flip all the chips over and bake another 5-8 minutes to crisp the bottoms. Once cool, store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

For one of our recipient agencies, Giving Grocery (formerly known as South High School Food Pantry), food distribution is about more than feeding students; it’s about taking care of the students’ communities as well. We Don’t Waste has been distributing food to the organization since 2018, and is proud to have been a part of their growing impact over the years.

The pantry started in 2014 when Greg Thielen and Jaclyn Yelich’s daughter was enrolled in Denver South High School. Their daughter has since graduated college, but the pantry is still going strong with the duo at the lead. 

Students enrolled in the school have the opportunity to shop every Thursday, and the pantry typically serves around 100 families each week. The offerings include fresh produce, proteins, milk, eggs, snacks, culturally relevant items, and even personal care items requested by the students.

For the Giving Grocery, the demand for culturally relevant food offerings is more important than for most, as Denver South High School is home to an extremely diverse community of students. The school has historically been welcoming to immigrants and has had students enrolled from Afghanistan, Sudan, Syria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Venezuela, Honduras, and more. Over 50 countries are represented in enrollment every year!

Part of We Don’t Waste’s commitment to serving the Giving Grocery is through the variety of food we deliver to them to meet their community’s needs. Food itself is essential for survival, but food that tastes like home is an even greater comfort. 

When the pandemic hit, Giving Grocery was forced to adapt to changing circumstances and even greater needs. 

“For many of our families, the first several months of the pandemic were incredibly difficult,”  Greg says. “Some family members became seriously ill, some lost jobs, some had their work hours reduced dramatically, and children were at home instead of school. We worked hard to support our families during the first year of the pandemic by delivering food directly to their homes.” 

With the help of dedicated volunteers, the pantry was delivering food to over 30 Denver South High School families every week! They remained open during the summer months as well, knowing that summer, in particular, can be a difficult time for food-insecure families who depend on free or reduced school meals. 

Despite the country opening back up and parents and children headed back to their respective offices and schools, food insecurity continues to trouble many families. “The cost of housing, gasoline, electricity, heat, and food force many families to make difficult choices. Do they buy gas to get to work or do they buy food for their family?” Greg says.

Denver South High School is fortunate to have the Giving Grocery serving South’s students and their families’ needs, and We Don’t Waste is proud to have them as stewards of our recovered food. We know that each week, nothing is going to waste, and the people who need it the most are receiving the food and the support they need to thrive. 

“Working together, we have made a difference for our kids and their families,” Greg says. 

If you would like to support Giving Grocery, check out their website to make a donation and find volunteer opportunities!

Sustainability might be too big of a word to teach a pre-school child, but the idea can be taught! 

As an adult it can be easy to make small changes to your habits to reduce food waste, but what about when you have kids? Saving food is not something that naturally comes to mind for a child, and introducing new foods into their diet can be a long and wasteful process. 

The following tips should help your home save time, energy, and food!

For the youngest: 

1. Feed them your food

Spare yourself the job of short-order cook by feeding your child the same food you eat, but puréed for the little ones. Serve yourself a smaller portion, knowing you’ll likely finish what they don’t. If you start when they’re young, this tip will help you go much further with the following steps. 

2. Serve tiny portions

We want our kids to try new foods, but studies show many children have to try a food up to 15 times before accepting it! Start with small portions and minimize untouched food. You can always offer seconds when they’re interested.

3. Re-introduce the food

Speaking of those barely touched portions — save them! Either serve leftovers again in the next couple of days, or incorporate them into something else. Put leftover milk in your morning coffee and leftover veggies in a stir fry. Purees can be added to pasta sauce or soup.

4. Limit snacking

Snacking on the same foods every day and going into a meal with a full stomach makes it more difficult for a child to have an interest in trying new foods. Snack time can also be used for re-introduction to new foods, although this might require some creativity if it isn’t well-disguised!

FOR NEW EATERS:

1. Forget 5 seconds

Place a clean mat below your small child’s high chair before serving food. That way, food that falls (or gets jettisoned) off the tray is still safe to eat and can be placed back on their plates.

2. Serve finger foods

If utensils are causing a lot of food spills, consider switching to finger foods more often. Little nuggets don’t spill, can be easily recovered off the mat below, and allow your child to learn to feed themself independently.

3. Don’t engage in the food fight

Kids throw food on the floor to test their boundaries, but it doesn’t do anybody good to clean an entire meal off the ground. Stay nearby as they’re learning to eat and intervene before the food starts flying. Give them a specific place on their plate or tray to put food instead. They’ll eventually get it, and you’ll have less cleaning to do as a result.

As They Get Older:

1. Inspect the lunch boxes

Pack reusable containers with lunch, and have your kids bring home leftover food and drinks. Asking why some food went uneaten will help you offer the right foods in the right amounts next time. Sometimes small changes like cutting foods into smaller pieces can make lunch more appealing.

2. Use the IKEA effect

People tend to like things they helped make, and children are no different. Involve your kids in cooking and give them choices when possible. Allow them to serve themselves in the portions they want, within reason.

3. Garden and visit a farm

Kids who are involved in growing fruits and vegetables are more likely to eat them. Give your whole family an appreciation and respect for the resources required to bring food to the table by participating in the local food systems that bring the food into the pantry. 

While many of these tips can help you reduce food waste in your home, it is equally as important to let your child know why it is important that food is eaten and doesn’t end up in the trash. The World Wildlife Fund has several extensive toolkits for kids ranging from K-12 with educational activities and ways to get your child involved as a food waste warrior! You can also print out our We Don’t Waste coloring page to get your child engaged in the conversation of food waste.

Are you an educator? We Don’t Waste has an engaging education program for schools that can include a food waste audit performed during the children’s lunch period! It’s free, flexible, and content can be tailored to your class’s level and interests. 

40% of all food that is produced in the United States goes uneaten, and most of that is the result of households. It’s hard to believe, but if you pay attention to how much food you throw out in a week it might start to make a little more sense. In fact, a family of four could save on average $1,800 a year on wasted food alone. The waste isn’t intentional, but we don’t always have the best strategy or the knowledge to make the situation any better. 

Check out these tips for ways to save food you may not have known about. Save the groceries, and save your money!

1. Date Your Foods

When opening a can of sauce, a carton of eggs, or just putting away leftovers, write on the container the date in which they were first opened or stored. This will prevent the “Oh no, how old is this?” panic when you see an item you forgot about in the fridge. It will also help with food organization for tip #2.

2. Store the oldest foods in front

If you’ve started to write dates on your foods or you have just gone to the grocery store, place the already opened or older food items in the front of the fridge. Oftentimes many Americans will forget about what they have in the back of their fridge and it will rot. Simply by seeing what we have, we can incorporate the foods into a meal or a snack and prioritize eating them before they goes bad.

3. Freeze it while its ripe

You’ve labeled your foods and you know you have about a day left before your asparagus is totally wilted the way that it’s looking. Put it in the freezer! If you aren’t ready to cook with it yet it is better to save it for later than throw it away and waste the money. A common misconception is that freezing produce or protein causes it to lose its vitamin and mineral content, but worry not, frozen foods retain most or all of their nutrients until you decide to cook with them! You have nothing to lose but space in the freezer!

4. Know your labels

Many Americans will throw out food prematurely because they misread the labels on the food. 

“Sell-By” refers to the peak rotation of freshness for foods on shelves in grocery stores. It has nothing to do with food safety.

“Best-By” refers to the date of the peak taste of food, but does not refer to the expiration.

“Use-By” refers to the ideal freshness of the food, but does not refer to the expiration either.

The moral of the story is to always use your senses to tell if a food has gone bad. Look at it, smell it, and taste just a little. If all else fails, use google to know what signs to look for in a product that has gone bad.

5. Store the right foods apart

Some foods will produce ethylene gas as they ripen. It’s a natural process that may cause other foods around it sensitive to ethylene to ripen even faster! If the foods stored together on your counter seem to be going bad too quickly, this may be the cause. Store these foods as far apart as you can to maximize the time they stay fresh!

6. Treat herbs like flowers

By storing cooking herbs upright in a cup of water you can extend the time that they stay fresh. After getting back from the grocery, cut the end of the stem, cover the tops of them with foil or wrap if needed, and they will be fresh until you need to use them. (Asparagus, carrots, and celery also likes to be kept upright in water)

7. Wash produce as you go

Instead of soaking the entire container of blueberries when you get home, wash only the amount you intend on immediately eating. By washing them and putting the container back with the additional moisture you are creating conditions for mold to grow faster and for your leafy greens to wilt. If you notice there is already moisture buildup in these containers, place a paper towel in the bottom of the containers in order to absorb it and replace it when you notice it getting soggy. 

8. Not everything needs refrigerated

Avocados, citrus, bananas, nectarines, pears, peaches, onions, tomatoes, and potatoes can all be stored at room temperature or in a cool pantry. Even apples that aren’t quite ripe yet need to be kept at room temperature before being refrigerated. Just remember the tip about ethylene producers and keep those items distanced. Covering the stem of the bananas can also reduce the amount of ethylene they spread to nearby produce. 

9. Wrap opened cheese

After opening it is best to cover cheese in wax or beeswax paper in order to prevent molding. These papers also prevent any flavors from being transferred to the cheese, where plastic wrap can leach odd flavors into the cheese. 

10. Use reusable containers

Foods don’t always come in the best packaging for storage. Lettuce can come with too much moisture, grain and bread bags aren’t air tight, and some foods can be too dry. Consider moving foods, especially ripe ones, to reusable containers in order to preserve freshness longer. Bonus points if you bring produce bags to the grocery instead of using plastic! (Just make sure to wash them every once in a while to prevent bacteria growth.)

Start implementing some of these tips in your household and watch your grocery bill fall and your fridge stay stocked! If you are looking for more ways to reduce your food waste at home check out our blog on the topic!

We typically discuss food waste, a stage where food exits our food systems, but it is equally as important to understand where it all begins, the soil! At the beginning of food production, soil and farming practices set the stage for the sustainability of our food system. 

One of the ways farmers and producers are currently working to reduce the damage of industrial farming is through regenerative farming. The Regenerative Agriculture Foundation defines it as “any practice, process, or management approach that enhances the functioning of the systems on which it relies.” The methods that make up regenerative farming are deservedly now at the forefront of discussion in regards to climate change.

It may sound, at first, like a new buzzword, but the health of soil is at the foundation of agriculture itself. Soil may not look like much, but it is very much a living, interactive part of our environment. Soil provides key nutrients required for plant growth such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium as well as many others. The soil itself is composed of minerals, organic matter, living organisms, gas, and water⏤and all of it is affected by what happens in, on, and around it.

Much of regenerative farming involves the practice of making sure that soil is kept in tip-top shape in terms of the mineral, water, carbon, and nutrient content. In return, the farmland works symbiotically with the rest of the ecological landscape and stays arable decades longer. Healthy soil acts as a highly-effective carbon-sink, a natural pest repellent, and if treated right can produce healthier foods at a lower environmental cost as well. 

Industrial-level farming depends on intensive water and growing practices which results in depleted nutrients in the ground and eventually the destruction of the soil itself. Soil is often overtilled, underfed, and overworked until it loses all biodiversity and is effectively dead. When the soil is misused in this way it can become extremely difficult to grow crops and leads to further desertification of previously arable land. 

Nearly all large-scale farming operations in the US use methods that follow down that path, but there are ways to reverse the damage. 

Smarter crop rotation, using organic pest solutions, regenerative grazing, and more natural solutions can be incorporated in various degrees in order to preserve current farmland or regenerate current arid lands. Much of this has yet to be explored on the same scale as industrial farming as the organic and non-industrial farming sector makes up less than 1% of all farmland in the US.

Fortunately, many of these methods are proven tried and true where they are incorporated. 

Crop rotation is important for soil as some crops are extremely greedy in terms of the nutrients they absorb from the soil, whereas other crops act to replenish the soil with nutrients they return to their roots. It’s the give and take that allows soil to recover as opposed to intensive plants using up the nutrients in the same soil four seasons a year. 

Many regenerative farms also choose to allow grazers onto the fields while they lay fallow after the primary plant is out of season. The animals that graze fertilize the soil naturally and cause less destruction to topsoil as opposed to continuous tilling. 

Natural pest solutions are less harsh on the soil and have a much lower environmental cost to produce. Glyphosate, the primary ingredient in non-organic pesticides, actively attacks the amino acids in plants and only gets to store shelves after an immense amount of fossil fuels are used in production.

What do consumers want?

Consumers have clearly indicated through shopping habits that many prioritize natural solutions with the wave of organic isles that can be found in many grocery stores. In 2019, Nielsen found 73 percent of global consumers said in order to reduce their environmental footprint they would be willing to change their habits. 

With this in mind it is clear that in order to have a more sustainable food system it is as important to consider the beginning as it is the end of food production.

We don’t all have access to organic food or local farms, but we can all make sure that we smartly use the food we buy!

There is so much time, energy, and natural resources that goes into the production of our food today that it makes utilizing what we’ve grown even more important. Your resourcefulness can help keep climate change in check.

If you feel as strongly as we do about the topic then check out our blog about ways to reduce food waste at home. 

What’s The Real Difference Between “Sell By”, “Best By”, and “Use By”?

We’ve all reached into the back of our fridge, pulled out a jar of something we forgot we bought a month ago, looked at the use-by date, and promptly chucked it in the trash. But how much faith should we put in the dates printed on our groceries?

Fun fact: food dating is not required by federal law. This means there aren’t standardized definitions of the phrases “sell by”, “best by”, and “use by”. These labels are voluntarily printed on products in our grocery stores.

Generally speaking:

• Best By refers to the length of time that a product will be the highest quality.
• Sell By tells retailers how long they should leave the product on the shelf for sale.
• Use By is the last date that manufacturers recommend you consume the product.

NONE of these dates are actually safety dates (unless they’re on infant formula, which is the only time they are legally required). What’s worse, the USDA estimates that a large percentage of food waste results from sellers and consumers who discard food only because the date on the package has passed.

What can you do?

Take the dates on food packaging as guidelines, not deadlines, and remember that you’re the best judge of whether something is okay to eat. If the food has been stored properly and doesn’t show signs of having gone bad, it should be fine to eat!

Further reading

• USDA Food Product Dating FAQ
• EatByDate food-specific safety information

Great news: Colorado’s own Woody Creek Distillers, our signature liquor provider at Fill A Plate for Hunger Presented by CoBank, has let us in on the secret to their oh-so-refreshing Colorado Mint Julep. It’s the perfect drink for a hot day, a shady porch, or this year’s annual fundraiser.

What You’ll Need

• 2oz Woody Creek Distillers Rye
• .5oz Mathilde Peach liqueur
• .5oz simple syrup
• 12 mint leaves, plus a sprig for garnish.
• Old fashioned glass or Julep cup

Directions

1. Muddle the mint in a glass with simple syrup and peach liqueur.
2. Add the rye.
3. Fill your glass halfway with crushed ice and stir.
4. Fill the rest of the glass with ice.
5. Garnish with a sprig of mint.
6. Sip, savor, and say “mmmm.”

You’ll have a chance to sample a variety of Woody Creek spirits at our 6th annual Fill a Plate for Hunger Presented by CoBank on September 14 at the Denver Botanic Gardens. Tickets go on sale soon–we hope you can join us!

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Food waste is a widespread problem throughout the world. It is not a problem one organization, person or even government can solve alone. It will take everyone becoming more aware of food waste and collaborating  to help. Let’s take a look at three food waste facts and learn what you can do to make a difference.

Food Waste Fact #1

Food waste in the home is a major contributor to the problem. Not only is waste avoidable but it will also save you money! Below are a few simple tips to help you save $ by wasting less food.

1. When putting groceries away, be sure to rotate the food in your refrigerator. Put the newest food in the back so you always see what needs to be used up first.
2. Learn how to store different fruits and veggies to keep them lasting the longest.
   • Avocados – Once ripe or almost ripe, place in refrigerator to add days onto their life span.
   • Leafy greens & fresh herbs – Place stems in a cup of water with a plastic bag placed loosely over it. Fresh herbs and greens can last for weeks in the refrigerator this way!
   • Bananas – Keep bananas on the counter and away from other produce. They produce ethylene gas, which speeds the ripening of everything around them.
   • Cheese – Store in wax or parchment paper. This allows it to breathe but also retain its moisture.
3. Food ‘expatiation’ & ‘best by’ dates are not currently regulated. Use these dates as guidelines and rely on visual inspection and smell to decide if your food is still fresh enough to eat.

Food Waste Fact #2

Food waste=water waste. We all know fresh water is a precious resource. When you throw away that leftover burger you are wasting food and water.  Learning more about the water it takes to produce your food will make you think twice about the impact of your waste.

Below you can see how much water to takes to produce 1 pound of your favorite foods:

• Tomatoes = 5 Minute shower
• Bananas = 42 Minute shower
• White rice = 60 Minute shower
• Cheese = 122 Minute shower

Learn about even more foods at Waterfootprint.org

Food Waste Fact #3

When organic matter such as food waste decomposes in the landfill it releases methane, a greenhouse gas roughly 23x more potent then carbon dioxide.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, landfills account for 34 percent of all methane emissions in the U.S.—meaning that the sandwich you made and then didn’t eat yesterday is increasing your personal—and our collective—carbon footprint.

– Scientific American

Food waste is finally getting the attention it deserves and rightfully so. Not only does food waste lead to wasted money, wasted water and rising green house gasses; we also have millions of families that go hungry every day. This problem can be solved but it will take everyone doing their part.

In 2016, We Don’t Waste prevented over 6.2 million pounds of food from entering the landfill. We collect food by the pallet and distribute it to those in need. The food we recover gets distributed up and down the front range through our food recovery network. You can help by only buying the food you need, storing it properly and supporting local organizations such as We Don’t Waste. Join the movement and do your part to tackle this problem!

Make a donation today: wedontwaste.org/donate

Angela, our office volunteer, spends a day on the truck.

As a Denver transplant, I was lucky to stumble upon We Don’t Waste. I had some free time every week, and wanted to find an organization where I could make a productive impact on the community. I signed up to be a volunteer and within a short time, I was helping the office with administrative work. I can confidently say; their impact doesn’t hit home until you see the amount We Don’t Waste re-distributes to the community first hand.

Our day began at the We Don’t Waste office in the RINO neighborhood. The team assembles and plans the route for the day. Since many of the products are fresh, their path can change that morning, and even during the day. If a donation is called into the office while the trucks are out, the message is passed to the appropriate truck driver to schedule a pick up.

We Don’t Waste has grown rapidly since its inception in 2009. Their fleet has grown from picking up and delivery in a Volvo station wagon to three refrigerated trucks. They now have a 10-foot truck, a 14-foot truck and an 18-foot truck, all refrigerated. The 14-foot truck is the first of their trucks to be standard warehouse dock height, so it makes the team even more efficient. I joined Dana Van Daele, Program Manager, and Tim Sanford, Director of Operations, on the 14-foot truck and we headed to our first stop, a major soup manufacturer. They provided a buffet-sized variety of soups, like split pea, tomato basil, and quinoa vegetable, as well as green, rice, and pasta salad kits.

Our next stop was an ARC Thrift Stores distribution center. We were called about several pallets worth of non-perishable food items. I had no idea how much food was donated to ARC, but unfortunately, they don’t have the capability to distribute food in addition to the massive quantity of other donations. However, their manager has been working with We Don’t Waste for years to apportion these non-perishables to numerous philanthropic organizations. When we arrived, we were given 3 Gaylord pallets packed to the brim. These pallets can safely transport over 1000 pounds! As we loaded them onto the truck with the pallet jack, I saw every preserved food item you can imagine: tea, coffee, drink mixes, crackers, cereal, pasta, canned vegetables, ready meals, protein bars, popcorn, etc.

Since the non-perishables pallets were added to the route that morning, we had to find non-profits able to accept such a large donation. While Tim drove, Dana started making calls. We found our first drop off location at Thrive Church in Federal Heights and our second at a maternal home in Wheat Ridge. Both organizations were able to accommodate one pallet each.

Our last pick up for the day was from the Denver Flea on Broadway. They had thousands of cans of soda left over from their recent flea market event. The natural sodas contained no high fructose corn syrup and the flavor varieties included: cola, root beer, cherry vanilla, and cream soda. The only hitch was there was more soda than estimated and we had to call in another truck to handle the weight. There was enough soda to load two maxed-out pallets onto each truck and require another trip the following day!

Our final drop off destination was City Harvest Food Bank that delivers to community pantries and food banks throughout the Denver area. We were able to donate two pallets of soda and several crates of soups and salad kits.

We Don’t Waste’s positive effect can be felt at over 75 non-profits and countless events along the Front Range, but it hits home when you see the sheer volume of food they save from the landfill. Not only do they keep millions of servings a year from becoming garbage, they also turn around and give back to non-profits that provide nutritious food to those under-served in the community. Watching the team diligently work, motivated by their altruistic spirit, makes you appreciate how significant societal changes can start with a small group. I couldn’t be happier to volunteer for such a commendable team!

Angela, We Don’t Waste Office Volunteer