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  2. Sustainable Management of Food

Washington School Food Share Program Toolkit

EPA and a coalition of partner organizations in Washington State developed the School Food Share Program to recover and redirect usable food from schools to local food banks. This program outlines the steps and guidelines by which schools can – legally and with federal program support – collect the leftover, edible food in the cafeteria, set it aside in bins for donation in available cooler space, and have it delivered to the local food bank for distribution to its customers.

Cover Page of the Washington Food Share Program Guide 2024

The Washington School Food Share Program Toolkit was developed to help prevent and minimize wasted food in schools, and redirect consumable food to those who need it, through a replicable model for school food recovery. Delve inside the Toolkit to find:

  • An overview of the School Food Share program.
  • Program Vision.
  • Information for schools and food banks.
  • Health department rules and regulations.
  • Data and metrics collection.
  • Communications. 
  • Related Programs and Initiatives.
  • An appendix with templates, examples, checklists, signs, posters and more.
  • Washington School Food Share Program Guide (pdf) (9.65 MB, April 2024)
  • School Food Share: Call for Participation (pdf) (693.99 KB)

Sustainable Management of Food

  • Basics
  • Wasted Food Scale
    • Feeding Animals
  • Prevention through Source Reduction
  • Donating Food
  • Composting
    • Approaches to Composting
    • Benefits of Using Compost
    • Start a Composting Program
    • Composting at Home
    • Community Composting
  • Anaerobic Digestion
  • Preventing Wasted Food at Home
  • Tools for Preventing and Diverting Wasted Food
  • Funding Opportunities and EPA Programs Related to the Food System
  • Local and Regional Resources
  • Data on Wasted Food in the U.S.
Contact Us About Sustainable Management of Food
Contact Us to ask a question, provide feedback, or report a problem.
Last updated on March 28, 2025
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