New York Department of Sanitation announces first food waste fair

The New York City Department of Sanitation’s (DSNY's) Foundation for New York’s Strongest has announced the upcoming NYC Food Waste Fair, a resource-fair-meets-trade-show to be held at the Brooklyn Expo Center on July 25, 2017.

New York City food industry organizations send more than 650,000 tons of usable food to landfills each year. Instead, that food could be used to feed people and animals, nourish soil, grow healthy food or create energy. The NYC Food Waste Fair’s goal is to provide businesses with the knowledge, tools and connections to build a waste prevention plan from scratch or expand existing programs.

“So much of what New Yorkers throw away is organic waste. Where some people see a problem, we see opportunity,” says Sanitation Commissioner Kathryn Garcia. “With innovations like the NYC Food Waste Fair and the largest organics curbside collection service in the United States, recycling food is becoming as easy as recycling paper. Additionally, the Food Waste Fairs fits into the city’s goal of sending zero waste to landfills by 2030, which is part of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s OneNYC plan.”

By pairing an expo-style event with workshops, panel discussions and live demonstrations, the NYC Food Waste Fair is made to bring together experts and provide food waste solutions for local businesses. The fair is open to all involved in food businesses, such as grocery store owners, street vendors, restaurant and fast food operators, manufacturers, wholesalers and building and custodial management.

“The average family wastes $1,500 a year by throwing away completely edible food,” says Joel Gamoran, Sur La Table Chef and host of the new culinary series SCRAPS. “It’s an education problem. Like the chefs on SCRAPS, the food waste innovators participating in the NYC Food Waste Fair and Amuse Bouche events are teaching New Yorkers better habits and inspiring us all to take a hard look at everything from garlic skins to peach pits—and think about how they could be used instead of trashed.”

For more information on attending, exhibiting or sponsoring the NYC Food Waste Fair, visit foodwastefair.nyc.