Learn About We Don't Waste
We Don't Waste works to reduce hunger and food waste in the Denver area by recovering quality, unused food from the food industry and delivering it to nonprofit partners, such as food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, schools and daycare programs, and more.
Founded in 2009, We Don't Waste has recovered over 165 million servings of food and distributed it for free to the community.
Why is food wasted?
Every day, food businesses throw out high-quality, delicious food. It could be pallets of fresh bell peppers that aren't the ideal shape. Or carrots that are a little crooked. Or milk that was over-ordered for a local school district. Point is, it's food that could feed people rather than ending up in a landfill.
The Food Waste Crisis
As much as 40 percent of all food goes unsold or uneaten in the United States. Instead of being consumed, this food ends up in a landfill, where it decomposes and releases methane - a greenhouse gas between 24 and 87 times more potent than CO2. This makes reducing food waste one of the top three ways to reverse climate change.
The Problem of Hunger
Hunger is a huge problem in our community. In fact, as many as 1 in 3 Coloradans are experiencing food insecurity - and the rate is even higher for people of color and households with children.