A Utah nonprofit works to turn unused food into meals for the hungry 

Each year, roughly 1.3 billion metric tons of food goes to waste worldwide, according to United Nations data, or roughly one-third of everything produced for human consumption. And it's estimated that as much as 40% of the food purchased by a typical American ends up in the trash.

At the same time, hundreds of millions of people around the globe experience hunger and food insecurity, including roughly 363,000 Utahns who don't know where their next meal will come from.

The disconnect between hunger and food waste is of such magnitude that it can leave people feeling powerless, Dana Williamson said. But the gap can be bridged, and organizations like Waste Less Solutions, which Williamson founded in 2018, are working to do just that.

"I want to be part of the solution—to leave this planet in a better state than the one it's in," Williamson said. "That's what I want to spend my time on."

After a long career in the corporate world, Williamson followed her passions for food, education and the environment and created Waste Less Solutions. The nonprofit works to rescue edible, surplus food that would otherwise end up in landfills and divert it to those in need.

Waste Less partners with local restaurants and caterers to collect excess food and, with the help of volunteers, partners with charitable and community organizations to distribute meals. The organization is also expanding into training and informational programs, looking to help people better conserve and utilize the food in their private and commercial kitchens.

"Our goal, and what I believe it is going to take, is a social movement around food waste," Williamson said, "and that is why we are trying to focus more on education and consumers."

One Man's Trash
Waste Less Solutions believes that systemic change can start with local action. The organization was born from the realization that an astonishing amount of perfectly good food was going to waste, even as the people in the surrounding neighborhoods went hungry.

The nonprofit now partners with restaurants, caterers, food retailers, local farmers markets and event organizers to intercept food that would traditionally be thrown away, providing not only environmental benefit by reducing greenhouse gas emissions but also social benefit by distributing rescued goods to those in need.

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Table X Bakery donates day-old breads and other items not sold or utilized to Waste Less Solutions twice weekly. Those items are taken to local shelters and food banks and given to families in need by the organization's volunteers.

"It's really easy; they take anything that would be turned into waste or unsellable on Thursdays and Saturdays, requiring very little interaction from us," said Nick Fahs of Table X. "It hurts us when we waste food, so not having that fear of having a product that will go in the trash is a pretty big deal for us."

Other community partners include Salted Honey Hospitality—the caterer for the Utah Jazz—and local farmers in the summer. In just the past year, Waste Less Solutions saved thousands of pounds of food from entering landfills.

On the other side of the equation, the charitable partners that receive donations from Waste Less Solutions are varied and dynamic. Food recipient partners include a local Boys & Girls Clubs, Neighborhood House, YMCA, Granite Education Foundation, Rescue Mission, Life Start Village and Jewish Family Services.

For those experiencing food insecurity, the hurdles extend beyond simply acquiring food; often, the challenge lies in finding the time or the means to prepare nutritious meals. Recognizing this need, Waste Less Solutions offers a prepared meal program specifically tailored to alleviate such concerns. They work with catering companies like Salted Honey Hospitality to prepare complete meals for families.

"Typically, this food is healthier and fully prepared, so it can easily be given to someone in need; they just need to reheat it," Williamson said.

Currently, the kitchen buzzes with cooking and meal prep on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, with the meals delivered every Thursday to predetermined families through nonprofit partners.

Amanda Ree Hughes, president and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Salt Lake, said that her locations typically receive one or two donations each week from Waste Less Solutions. "[Williamson] was aware of our need to find access to food for our families, and we were one of her first nonprofits to sign up to be a recipient of food rescue," Hughes said. "Food insecurity affects a large population of the families that we serve. Groceries are sometimes one of the things that you can flex on. Being able to provide access to [nutritional] foods is a big benefit to our families."

Back for Seconds
The success of Waste Less Solutions is deeply rooted in the community's support and involvement. The generosity of local foundations, such as the Eccles Foundation, play a pivotal role in funding their initiatives. In addition, their yearly fundraising event, the Second Chance Dance, features celebrated local chefs who craft innovative dishes from rescued food items. Both invited judges and attendees then judge these culinary creations.

"This year, we are going to focus on getting larger volume and healthier food," Williamson said. "With our limited time and resources, it makes more sense for us. However, we are going to help teach smaller donors to find other solutions, ways they can still donate or find ways to waste less."

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Corporate entities and large-scale events are not exempt from the issue of food waste, often discarding edible food despite attempts at efficiency. This cycle of waste extends its impact environmentally, as discarded organic matter in landfills becomes a major source of methane emissions, representing approximately 20% of the total emissions of this potent greenhouse gas.

At Waste Less Solutions, the goal is to enlighten the community and explore strategies to minimize food waste at the local level. They achieve this mission by informing consumers and food-related businesses about the severity of the issue and the practical solutions available. Additionally, their food diversion program actively involves the community salvaging perfectly good food and distributing it to individuals facing food insecurity. Through education and direct action, they strive to make a tangible impact right where it's needed the most.

But the unsung heroes of Waste Less Solutions are the volunteers—aka "rescuers"—who dedicate their time and effort to the cause. Mobilized with an infectious passion to make a difference, these community champions drive the company's substantial growth and sustained impact.

Volunteers from all walks of life have found common ground in Waste Less Solutions. Educators, students, retirees and professionals alike contribute their skills and experiences to the organization's collective mission.

Diane Sheya, a former culinary educator and cooking school owner, volunteers her time weekly in the commercial kitchen, organizing prepared foods into nutritious meals and preparing meals. Sheya became actively involved with Waste Less Solutions upon hosting a fundraiser for the nonprofit in 2022, but prior to that, she was already on a mission to help people not waste food.

"I really like working in the kitchen; when the [Utah] Jazz is in season and playing at home, we get the leftover food from the suites, everything from filet mignon to hot dogs; it's about 800 pounds of food," Sheya said. "We not only repurpose the food, but we also do some cooking to provide a well-balanced meal to the best of our ability. We give single-serving meals to the Neighborhood House and generously portioned family-size meals to the Boys & Girls Clubs."

Sheya and other volunteers recently hosted a pilot program with the Spanish Community Center, utilizing leftover food from the Delta Center and offering it to be picked up by anyone on their mailing list who brought their own containers. Another pick-up event at the Spanish Community Center is scheduled for Feb. 26.

"It was one of the most fulfilling things," Sheya said of the pick-up event. "Instead of repurposing the food that we get in the kitchen, these were the people right in front of us who were there to take it home and serve it for dinner that night."

Becoming a food rescuer with Waste Less Solutions is an empowering way to give back to the community. Rescuers pick up quality, surplus food items from donors and deliver them directly to the receiving agencies.

These organizations then ensure the food reaches individuals and families facing food scarcity in our Utah communities.

An intuitive rescue app, available at foodrescue.us, provides all the necessary information, from pickup locations to delivery destinations. The process is designed for convenience, allowing volunteers to engage in rescue efforts without the need for prior scheduling and to complete a pickup and delivery often within half an hour.

Home Cooked
Waste Less Solutions has set its sights on an ambitious yet attainable future. Williamson envisions a world where every person has access to good food and where food production and consumption are in harmony with ecological systems. The nonprofit's work is a reminder that each of our choices matters and that through collective action, we can bend the trajectory of our food system toward one that is less wasteful and more equitable.

"We have done lots of speaking events, from farmers markets to schools, anything and everything, just to get the word out," Williamson said. "This has been done on the side in the past, but now we want to put funds into it and make it more of a focus."

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Williamson offered several general tips for reducing waste. She said people can "shop in" from their fridge or pantry before going out for new ingredients, and that it's important to "use the smell and taste test" as best-by and sell-by dates refer more to subjective quality than objective safety risks.

When you do go out shopping for ingredients, Williamson said, people should stick to their lists and avoid adding extra, unnecessary items, and then remember to properly store their food at home.

Continuing their public education efforts will be pivotal in driving sustained change, Williamson said. New this year, they are launching a student ambassador program with the Salt Lake City School District in March.

Waste Less Solutions and Indian Hill Elementary School, in partnership with the World Wildlife Fund, are launching a Food Waste Warrior program to teach kids about food waste through interactive activities.

"The idea is we are going to train high school and college students to be facilitators to learn about food waste and reducing their own, and teaching younger kids," Williamson added. "Part of the program is hands-on; kids will go into the cafeterias and see how much waste is happening and implementing changes there."

This four-week program will take consumers through a process of measuring waste. Each week, they are given tools, webinars and materials to assist with the goal of reducing waste over four weeks and will gain knowledge of what they can do differently moving forward.

This program will launch shortly after the student ambassador program. The hope is those families will be inspired to participate first.

"Our goal, and what I believe it is going to take, is a social movement around food waste, and that's why we are trying to focus more on education and consumers," Williamson added. "Catered events are our biggest source of surplus food; we have built this society of overconsumption. I would like to see that change."

For more information on donating or volunteering with Waste Less Solutions, visit wastelesssolutions.org.