Speak Up
Learn about and join Spoonfuls in advocating for important solutions to wasted food. From supporting smart policies to wasting less food at home, there are ways for everyone to get involved. Together, we can address the impact that wasted food has on people, our planet, and our economy.
Policies & Solutions
From new legislation to working on strengthening existing policy, we invite you to learn about these key, long-term solutions to address wasted food.
Confusion surrounds date labels, like “sell-by,” “best-by,” and “use-by.” This is one of the top reasons good food goes to waste in homes. Across the nation, there is no standard approach to date labeling, which makes many people uncertain about whether a food is safe to consume. And when in doubt, many choose to throw it out.
While we understand erring on the side of caution, this means a lot of good food is landing in the trash bin. Standardizing date labels would help to significantly reduce food waste in homes.
Massachusetts’ Commercial Food Material Disposal Ban (the “Organics Waste Ban”) is an example of effective legislation that prevents good food from entering landfills. By limiting the amount of food that businesses can throw away, the ban encourages more entities to partner with organizations like Spoonfuls, to donate their still-edible, surplus food.
As a part of Spoonfuls’ Advocacy Priorities, we work to uplift and strengthen MassDEP’s work around the ban.
While Spoonfuls works to meet an immediate need for fresh, wholesome food, we know we can better meet our mission by addressing the issues underpinning our work. That’s where Advocacy comes in. We collaborate with others (community members, business leaders, and elected officials) to raise awareness and support for long-term solutions that address wasted food, food insecurity, and climate change. Join us!
Each year, Spoonfuls defines our “Advocacy Priorities.” Inclusive of the solutions highlighted above, they represent key opportunities to address the impacts of wasted food. Some align in direct and obvious ways with the work we do every day. Others broadly pave the way for a more just and sustainable food system and a healthy planet. All of our priorities are informed through collaboration with community members and coalition leaders.
Keep scrolling to read them (and click the “+” button to learn more about each).
Want to get involved in efforts to address wasted food, hunger, and the climate emergency? Here are a handful of recommendations from Team Spoonfuls!
We don’t do this work alone. Spoonfuls participates in coalitions addressing issues like food waste, hunger, and the climate emergency. Below are just a handful of them.
