Representatives from the Nashville Mayor’s office, Kroger, Metro Public Works, the Nashville Food Waste Initiative, and Second Harvest Food Bank gathered today to announce some new initiatives aimed at reducing food waste in our communities.

As a part of Mayor Barry’s Livable Nashville sustainability effort, the Mayor’s Food-Saver Challenge was extended to local food retailers. Participating stores are asked to maximize their donations of surplus food to hunger-relief organizations and report the weight of food donated on a monthly basis. Stores are also being challenged to compost their organics by setting up a separate collection system for food scraps. “This is highly-reusable material that doesn’t need to end up in a landfill,” says Mayor Barry. “It makes sense to now work with retailers to donate more food to feed hungry people, and compost whatever remains.”

Kroger was the first retailer to sign on to the Mayor’s Challenge and recently announced their own Zero Hunger | Zero Waste plan aimed at ending hunger in communities and eliminating waste across the company by 2025. “One in eight Americans struggle with hunger,” said Melissa Eads, corporate affairs manager for Kroger. “As one of the largest grocery retailers in the country, we are committed to reducing food going to waste and getting wholesome food to people who need it.”

Second Harvest Food Bank is grateful for partners who are willing to take the lead in reducing food waste in our communities.