Sometimes, a little urgency can lead to a big impact. Last week, Project Green Fork received a late-afternoon tip about three pallets of beautiful romaine lettuce sitting in a Memphis warehouse on Summer Avenue. The catch? If no one came to claim them that evening, all of that perfectly good produce – more than 2,000 pounds – would be dumped.
The lettuce, a result of a restaurant misorder, was on the brink of becoming trash. But thanks to PGF’s network of food rescue partners and a team ready to act, this story had a much happier ending.
Despite the late hour, when many food recovery efforts would typically pause for the day, PGF jumped into action. We quickly reached out to our trusted nonprofit partners. Within hours, four nonprofits stepped up to claim the lettuce so that it could be redistributed to people in our communities.
The result? More than a ton of fresh produce found its way to tables instead of landfills.
Why this matters
Food rescue is about creating a more efficient, sustainable food system that works for everyone. Every year, billions of pounds of food are wasted in the United States while food insecurity remains a persistent challenge in communities like Memphis. Thus, many of our neighbors rely on local nonprofits to get access to healthy meals.
How you can get Involved
At PGF, we believe that food rescue is a team effort, and everyone can play a part in reducing food waste. If you’re a business with surplus food, we can help you redirect it to nonprofits that serve neighbors in need. We make the process simple and efficient by using tools like Careit, a food recovery platform that streamlines connections between surplus food sources and local organizations in need.
Not sure if your surplus food qualifies for donation? Here are some quick tips:
- Foods must not have been served to consumers.
- Foods must not have been out of refrigeration or warming trays for more than four hours.
- Foods must show no signs of spoilage.
If you’re interested in learning more or partnering with us, we’d love to connect. Reach out to the PGF team at info@cleanmemphis.org to see how you can help reduce food waste while supporting your community.
At PGF, efforts like this remind us why we do what we do. Food that would have been wasted now serves its original purpose – feeding people. We’re grateful to our partners for trusting us to answer the call and to our community for believing in the power of food rescue.
