Feed It Onward
Turning Food Waste into Opportunity Across America
Feed It Onward is a Trump EPA initiative that lends a national platform to spotlight the farmers, businesses, nonprofits, military partners, and communities who are doing incredible work to ensure good food is being put to use instead of turned to waste.
Feed It Onward connects food donors and organizations leading on food waste reduction with communities in need, while reducing the environmental impact of food waste in landfills. As part of the Freedom 250 celebration, Feed It Onward reflects the values that have always made our country strong — generosity, grit, and community. We partner with private and public groups to highlight these opportunities to reduce our nation’s food waste.
The Challenge
In the United States, more than one-third of all food goes uneaten and gets thrown away. This creates a huge impact on both our environment and the wallets of American families. Food has become the largest contributor to our landfills — more than any other type of waste. Doing our part to ensure food is being used in productive ways like going to those in need, turned into animal feed, composting, and other innovative solutions can go a long way.
Key Statistics:
- $728 - Average annual food waste cost per person
- $2,913 - Average annual food waste cost for a family of four
- 11% - Percentage of household food spending that is wasted
- Over 133 billion pounds of food wasted annually
- Millions of families struggling with food insecurity
- $3,000 per family lost to food waste each year
Supporting Data
Data from EPA’s 2025 report, Estimating the Cost of Food Waste to American Consumers (pdf) , shows that individual consumers lose $728 annually to food waste—equivalent to $14 thrown away every single week. A family of four wastes nearly $3,000 worth of food each year, representing about 11 percent of their total spending on food.
Together, We Feed It Onward
Feed It Onward is a voluntary program that partners with farms, restaurants, grocery stores, food brands, and military bases donating food within their communities. As part of the Freedom 250 celebration, Feed It Onward reflects the values that have always made the country strong — generosity, grit, and community.
Ways to Get Involved
Partners
- Share your story. If your farm, company, nonprofit, military program, or diversion and reuse operation is leading on food recovery, let us feature your success on the national stage.
Communities
- Support these efforts locally. Take inspiration from our partners and bring food recovery into schools, neighborhoods, and hometowns.
Families & Individuals
- Learn from these stories, talk about them, and spread the word. Leadership grows when people share what works.
Branding and Icon Use
Only entities that have signed a partnership agreement with EPA, that comply with and maintain a valid partnership agreement, as overseen and enforced solely by EPA, are authorized to use the Feed It Onward name and icons.
Ready to Get Involved & Make an Impact?
Join the movement to put surplus food to its highest and best use in communities across America.
To get in touch with our team regarding a partnership opportunity or engagement, please contact the Feed it Onward team.
Feed It Onward is an initiative of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as part of America's 250th anniversary celebration.