Food Recovery Challenge Results and Awardees

We are grateful for the dedication of our Food Recovery Challenge partners and their efforts to reduce and divert waste. EPA is planning to evolve our Sustainable Materials Management partnership programs to align with our new priorities. At this time, we are no longer accepting Food Recovery Challenge partners. 

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Federal Interagency Food Loss and Waste Collaboration

The Food Recovery Challenge is one of EPA’s contributions to the Federal Food Loss and Waste Collaboration, a partnership among EPA, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Food and Drug Administration, to reduce food loss and waste through combined federal action.

Food Recovery Challenge (FRC) awards are given in two categories – data driven and narrative. Participants do not apply for the data driven awards, as these awards are given based on the information submitted in the SMM Data Management System and are based on percent changes comparing an organization’s data to the previous year’s data. Participants and endorsers apply for narrative awards in the following areas: Source Reduction, Leadership, Innovation, Education and Outreach, and Endorsers.

Food Recovery Challenge Results

In 2019 and 2020, nearly 600 Food Recovery Challenge participants and endorsers prevented and diverted over 1.2 million tons of wasted food from entering landfills or incinerators. Of this amount, participants and endorsers:

  • Prevented over 53,000 tons of wasted food from being created through source reduction (prevention) activities,
  • donated over 616,000 tons of food,
  • anaerobically digested over 248,000 tons of food and
  • composted more than 157,000 tons of food.
Food Recovery Challenge National Results from 2011-2020

EPA is pleased to recognize the following organizations for their outstanding efforts in 2019 and 2020 to advance sustainable materials management and for their leadership in the sustainable management of food. Their accomplishments, along with other FRC participants and endorsers, play a role in  contributing to the United States’ national goal of reducing food waste by 50 percent by 2030.

2021 Food Recovery Challenge Awards - National Winners

Read about the 2021 National Award Winners

Learn more about the successes of the 2021 national award winners.

Data-driven Improvement by Sector – highest percent increase over previous years

  • Grocers: Sprouts Farmers Market #176 (Overland Park, Kan.)
  • Food Manufacturing: Moonflower Farms (Houston)
  • Restaurants and Food Service Providers: HelloFresh (New York City)
  • Medical Services: Sodexo – GSMC Nutrition Svc (Lafayette, Colo.)

Narrative Categories

  • Leadership, Winner: The University of Texas at Arlington (Arlington, Texas)
  • Leadership, Honorable Mention: Lovin’ Spoonfuls (Boston)
  • Innovation, Winner: Food Forward (North Hollywood, Calif.)
  • Education and Outreach, Winner: Orange Coast College Recovery Kitchen (Costa Mesa, Calif.)
  • Education and Outreach, Honorable Mention: Lovin’ Spoonfuls (Boston) 
  • Endorser, Winner: Cherripick Inc. (Orlando, Fla.)
     

2021 Food Recovery Challenge Awards - Regional Winners

Learn More About the 2021 Regional Award Winners

Read more about the successes of the 2021 regional award winners

In addition to national awards, EPA regional offices across the country provided recognition to Food Recovery Challenge participants and endorsers for outstanding accomplishments in preventing and diverting wasted food. Regional winners are listed below by EPA Region and then by U.S. state:

EPA's Region 2: New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands

New York

  • Rock and Wrap it Up!
    • Costco of the Five Towns
    • New York Yankees
    • Universal Studios
  • HelloFresh
  • Wegmans Food Markets
  • Sodexo at Le Moyne College
  • Sodexo at Russell Sage College

New Jersey

  • Ravitz Family Markets:
    • Shoprite: Union Mill Rd., Mount Laurel Supermarkets Inc.
    • Shoprite: Evesham Rd., Cherry Hill Supermarkets Inc.
    • Shoprite: Cherry Hill Supermarkets, Inc.
    • Shoprite: Mount Laurel Supermarkets Inc.
    • Price Rite Supermarkets, Inc.
  • Sodexo at Saint Peter’s University

EPA's Region 3: Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia

Maryland

  • Sodexo Inc.

EPA's Region 7: Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska

Iowa

  • Eat Greater Des Moines

Missouri

  • MARC Solid Waste Management District

Nebraska

  • Lincoln Public School’s Hartley Elementary School

EPA's Region 9: Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Marshall Islands, and Republic of Palau

Arizona

  • Sprout Farmers Market #40

California

  • Sprouts Farmers Market #255
  • Feeding it Forward
  • FoodCycle LA

EPA's Region 10: Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington and 271 native Tribes

Washington

  • PCC Community Markets
  • Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
  • Seattle Mariners/T-Mobile Park
  • Gonzaga University
  • Microsoft Corporate Headquarters Campus
  • University of Washington – Seattle Campus

2020 Food Recovery Challenge Awards - National Winners

Data-driven Improvement by Sector – highest percent increase over previous years

Read about the 2020 National Award Winners
  • Grocers: Sprouts Farmers Market #1 (Maricopa, Ariz.)
  • Colleges/Universities: The Culinary Institute of America (San Antonio)
  • K-12 Schools: Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School with Island Grown Schools (Oak Bluffs, Mass.)  
  • State/Tribal/Local Government: The City of Philadelphia – Department of Prisons (Philadelphia) 
  • Restaurants and Food Service Providers: Chipotle of Lawrence (Lawrence, N.Y.)
  • Medical Services: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (Boston) 
  • Newcomer: Wilton Public Schools (Wilton, Conn.) 

Narrative Categories

  • Leadership, Winner: Food Forward (North Hollywood, Calif.)
  • Education and Outreach, Winner: Los Angeles County Public Works (Alhambra, Calif.)
  • Endorser, Winner: Food Rescue Partnership (Davenport, Iowa)

2020 Food Recovery Challenge Awards - Regional Winners

Learn More About the 2020 Regional Award Winners

In addition to national awards, EPA regional offices across the country provided recognition to Food Recovery Challenge participants and endorsers for outstanding accomplishments in preventing and diverting wasted food. Regional winners are listed below by EPA Region and then by U.S. state:

EPA's Region 2: New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands

New York

  • Rock and Wrap it Up!
    • Yankee Stadium
    • Dig Inn
    • Walls Bakery
    • Finger Lakes Gaming and Racetrack
    • Jumer’s Casino
    • Westhampton Beach School District
    • Crawfords Coffee Bar & Cafe of the Five Towns
    • Panera Bread of the Five Towns
    • Animal Kingdom Production 
    • Aramark Coors Field
    • “Mr. Robot” Production 
    • Silicon Valley Sports  
    • Warner Brothers
  • Price Chopper/Market 32
  • Wegmans Food Markets

New Jersey

  • Ravitz Family Markets:
    • Shoprite: Evesham Rd., Cherry Hill Supermarkets Inc.
    • Shoprite: Cherry Hill Supermarkets, Inc.
    • Shoprite: Mount Laurel Supermarkets Inc.
    • Price Rite Supermarkets, Inc.
  • Sodexo at Utica College
  • St. John’s University
  • Sprouts Farmers Market #945
  • HelloFresh

EPA's Region 3: Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia

Virginia

  • Virginia Department of Corrections

EPA's Region 5: Illinois, Missouri, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin

Michigan

  • Firekeepers Casino Hotel

EPA's Region 7: Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska

Iowa

  • Iowa Waste Reduction Center - University of Northern Iowa

Kansas

  • Shawnee Mission East High School
  • Kansas State University Pollution Prevention Institute

EPA's Region 9: Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Marshall Islands, and Republic of Palau

California

  • Disneyland Resort 
  • Zero Waste Company 
  • San Diego County Regional Airport Authority
  • Sprouts Farmers Market #428 
  • Sprouts Farmers Market #283 

Hawaii

  • Windward Zero Waste School Hui 

Sustainable Management of Food

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Last updated on February 11, 2025