Inspirer Spotlight: We Don’t Waste

Denver’s Answer to Food Waste and Food Insecurity

A self-described foodie, Arlan Preblud asked restauranteurs: “What happens to the food you don’t use?” More often than not, the response was, “We throw it away.” Thankfully for the Denver metro community, Preblud didn’t stop there. He asked if they would donate the food, got a positive response, and connected the dots. Today, Preblud is Founder and Executive Director of We Don’t Waste Denver, and they’ve recovered over 40 million pounds of food since 2009.

We Don’t Waste has a mission: Saving food, protecting the planet, and feeding people. It seems like a lot to chew on but their business model fills the bill. The group works with numerous partners to bring food to nonprofit organizations that feed the hungry. By prioritizing nutritious, fresh items such as produce and lean proteins, We Don’t Waste recovers food that supports good health. Using wholesome food that would have ended up in a landfill helps the partner organizations keep their food costs down, freeing up funds for support services and other needs. In addition, We Don’t Waste has created Mobile Food Markets to address the need for fresh food in the city’s “food deserts.”

Protecting the planet is no small feat but keeping food out of landfills reduces methane gas—a greenhouse gas more potent than carbon dioxide. By recovering and redistributing perfectly good food, We Don’t Waste has prevented the release of emissions equal to driving a car over 84 million miles. They want to help you help the planet, too, and provide tips and tricks to reduce food waste in our homes. Test your food-waste knowledge and take their quiz [HERE].

For additional resources, visit FFG’s Resources page [HERE].

—Hillary Black, Editor