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ReFED Policy Finder

Prevention | Recovery | Recycling

National | State

Date Labeling | Food Safety for Food Donations | Food Waste Deterrence Policies | Liability Protections | Tax Policies

January 2017

Since 2017, FLPC and ReFED have partnered together on the Policy Finder, a tool which provides information on six policy areas that affect food waste nationwide: Date Labeling, Tax Incentives, Liability Protections, Food Safety for Food Donations, Animal Feed, and Organic Waste Bans. In addition to state laws, the Policy Finder provides an overview of current federal policies, proposed federal policies, and future policy goals. The Policy Finder is meant to be a tool for nonprofits, businesses, and government officials to understand current policies in their jurisdiction and nationwide and use this knowledge to advocate for better policies.

Keeping Food Out of the Landfill

Prevention | Recovery

National | State

Date Labeling | Food Safety for Food Donations | Liability Protections | Tax Policies

October 2016

This toolkit was developed in response to the growing state and local interest in adopting policies to reduce the amount of food that goes to waste. This toolkit surveys eight different policy areas that state and local governments can examine as methods to reduce food waste and increase food recovery. This toolkit also provides information about the relevant federal laws, because they often serve as a legal floor, on which states can layer additional protections or opportunities. This toolkit should be useful to legislators on the state and local levels and their staff members, to the vast array of potential food donors (including large and small businesses, farmers, food producers, manufacturers, schools, institutions, and end consumers), and to activists and concerned citizens seeking to use policy to reduce food waste. The suggestions and highlighted best practices are intended to provide context and resources for state and local actors as they seek to improve their local food recovery landscape.

Leftovers for Livestock: A Legal Guide for Using Food Scraps as Animal Feed

Recycling

National | State

Miscellaneous

August 2016

This paper provides guidance to food scrap generators, farmers, and other stakeholders interested in using food scraps as animal feed by discussing federal and state regulations bearing on animal feed safety. This paper also lays out a core set of considerations for those interested in feeding food scraps to animal feed.

Article on Consumer Perception of Date Labels

Prevention

National

Date Labeling

May 2016

This article summarizes the findings of a consumer survey gathering insights into consumer perceptions of food date labels. The 2016 survey captured responses from a demographically representative sample of 1,029 adults. The questions posed were part of a CARAVAN® omnibus survey that is conducted twice a week by ORC International and the findings are one piece of a larger analysis of consumer perceptions of date labels.

Federal Enhanced Tax Deduction for Food Donation

Prevention | Recovery

National

Tax Policies

April 2016

This guide provides an overview of the general federal tax deductions available for businesses that donate food, explains how the enhanced tax deduction is calculated, and reviews the additional requirements for businesses to receive this enhanced tax deduction.

Op-Ed: Is that milk past its ‘sell by’ date? Drink it anyway.

Prevention

National

Date Labeling

February 2016

Op-Ed on the impact of food date labeling by Emily Broad Leib

US Food Loss and Waste Policy Action Plan for Congress and the Administration

Prevention | Recovery | Recycling

National

Consumer Food Waste Reduction | Date Labeling | Government Grants and Incentives

December 2013

FLPC, ReFED, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) compiled these recommendations for the Biden administration and Congress to take ambitious action to reduce FLW.

The Dating Game: How Confusing Food Date Labels Lead to FW in America

Prevention

National | State

Date Labeling

September 2013

This policy brief examines the historical impetus for placing dates on food—namely a desire to indicate products’ freshness—and the ways in which the system has failed to meet this goal, while creating a range of ancillary problems. Relevant federal laws and authorities are described along with a review of the legislative history on this topic, and a comparison of state laws related to food date labeling is provided. The paper then describes why and how date labels contribute to the waste of edible food in the United States.