{"id":878,"date":"2013-01-29T15:07:28","date_gmt":"2013-01-29T23:07:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thurstonchamber.com\/greenbusiness\/?p=878"},"modified":"2017-03-04T23:54:36","modified_gmt":"2017-03-05T07:54:36","slug":"love-our-local-2013-winter-festival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thurstongreenbusiness.com\/love-our-local-2013-winter-festival\/","title":{"rendered":"Grant helps food bank expand food collection"},"content":{"rendered":"
The Thurston County Food Bank feeds nearly 10,000 members of our community each month. Food bank customers can expect more than just canned vegetables and dried pasta \u2013 the food bank\u2019s shelves hold an impressive variety of fresh foods, too. Local grocery stores donate produce, dairy, meats, and baked goods that can no longer be sold but are still perfectly edible. The food bank also collects and redistributes food that local restaurants prepared but didn\u2019t serve.<\/p>\n
Grant funding from the Washington State Department of Ecology and Thurston County Solid Waste will help the food bank collect even more prepared food from local eateries. The extra funds will allow them to buy a van capable of keeping food cool during transport. The food bank also plans to upgrade their kitchen to enable them to repackage and distribute the prepared food in individual servings.<\/p>\n
As long as restaurants follow proper food handling rules, state and federal Good Samaritan laws protect them from any potential liability. Donating extra food is a great way to keep it out of the landfill. Better yet, it helps community members in need.<\/p>\n
Businesses in our community such as Old School Pizzeria and the Best Western Tumwater Inn are among the food bank\u2019s current donors. Best Western manager Neil Munn says the decision to participate was a simple one.<\/p>\n
The process was easy to set up, and his staff is happy to do it. \u201cIt feels good to reach out and help,\u201d says Munn.<\/p>\n
Old School Pizzeria owner Kenny Pugh agrees. \u201cI feel bad about food waste. I can\u2019t ever make the perfect amount, so I love to see it go to people instead of ending up in the trash.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery restaurant should be doing this,\u201d adds Pugh. \u201cThere are so many people out there that would appreciate your donations.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
How much food do we waste?<\/b><\/p>\n
In these tough financial times, you might think not much food goes to waste. However, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) estimates that as much as 40 percent of the food grown in the United States ends up in the trash. While waste happens at all points in the food supply chain, consumers waste the most food.<\/p>\n
The NRDC finds that food waste at home is often due to confusion over food product dating, preparing too much food, lack of meal planning, and impulse purchases (those two-for-one sales aren\u2019t a great deal if you can only eat half before it spoils). The cost of this waste? A typical family of four tosses out $1,365 to $2,275 of wasted food each year!<\/p>\n