Links and Resources About Food Recovery in the Phoenix Area
EPA’s Wasted Food Scale ranks these food waste reduction activities from most preferred to least preferred.
- Prevent Wasted Food
- Donate or Upcycle
- Feed Animals
- Anaerobic Digestion, and Fats, Oils & Grease
- Compost
Prevent Wasted Food
Produce, buy, and serve only what is needed. There are many resources available to prevent wasted food:
- EPA Food Recovery Website
- Reducing Wasted Food & Packaging A Guide for Food Services and Restaurants
Provides guidance on tracking results to save money and reduce waste. - Food Waste Assessment Guidebook
Shows how to do a one-time wasted food assessment.
- Reducing Wasted Food & Packaging A Guide for Food Services and Restaurants
- National Restaurant Association ConServe Program
Provides resources, tools and videos to assist restaurants in each step of a food waste reduction program.
Donate or Upcycle
Legal Guide on Federal Enhanced Tax Deduction for Food Donation
(1) LIABILITY OF PERSON OR GLEANER – A person or gleaner shall not be subject to civil or criminal liability arising from the nature, age, packaging, or condition of apparently wholesome food or an apparently fit grocery product that the person or gleaner donates in good faith to a nonprofit organization for ultimate distribution to needy individuals.
- Courtesy of the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Act
The resources below include national, regional and local organizations which take food donations in the Phoenix area. Most take non-perishables, and some accept surplus perishable foods. Be prepared to describe your donations in terms of packaging, preparation, frequency and type.
Food Pantries and Food Banks
Many have varying or limited capabilities for storing food donations and therefore limit the types or timing of donations. It's often best to contact several to determine which can use your donations. Below are links to find local food pantries and food banks.
- Ample Harvest
Find a pantry near you. - Rock and Wrap it Up!
Matches vetted charities with eligible donors of perishable food, including entertainment venues, hotels, K-12 schools, colleges, sports teams, and hospitals. A "Whole Earth Calculator" converts total pounds of donated food into meal equivalents and carbon dioxide averted equivalents. - Borderlands Produce Rescue
Rescues and distributes fresh produce, mostly from the Nogales point-of-entry, to those in need. - Waste Not
Picks up and delivers perishable food the same day; does not warehouse or store food. 1700 North Granite Reef Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85257; (480) 941-1841 - The 3000 Club Market on the Move
Donate ten dollars and get up to 60 pounds of fresh produce in a farmers market-like atmosphere in Phoenix, Tuscon and northern Arizona. - Chefs to End Hunger
- Provides meals to the hungry by redistributing the excess prepared food that would normally go to waste in hotels, restaurants, and other food service operations to local charitable organizations to serve the meals.
- Empowers chefs to easily and efficiently use the resources already at their disposal and repurpose food currently going to waste.
- Operates in California, Nevada and Arizona.
- Food Pantries.org
See a list of Arizona food pantries.
The following food pantries and donation centers may accept perishable donations:
Food Pantries
Food Pantry | Contact |
---|---|
Cultural Cup Food Bank (602) 266-8370 |
342 E Thomas Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85012 |
Arizona Kosher Pantry (602) 492-4989 |
7118 North 7th St, Phoenix, AZ 85020 |
Friendly House (602) 257-1870 |
113 W Sherman St, Phoenix, AZ 85004 |
Salvation Army - Mesa Citadel Family Services | 241 E. 6th St., Bldg. 3 Mesa, AZ, 85201 |
Food Banks
Donation Center | Location | Contact |
---|---|---|
St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance | 2831 N. 31st Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85009 |
(602) 242-FOOD (3663) |
United Food Bank | 245 South Nina Dr. Mesa, AZ 85210 |
(480) 926-4897 |
Paradise Valley Emergency Food Bank | 10862 N 32nd St, Phoenix, AZ 85028 |
(602) 867-9228 |
Feed Animals
Pig/Hog Farms
Large pig farms may accept food scraps. The Federal Swine Health Protection Act requires that food containing, or that comes in contact with, meat or animal materials must be boiled before being fed to pigs. Consequently, many local pig farmers are primarily interested in single-stream fruits and vegetables or grain waste. Arrangements are often informal and can be intermittent.
Spent Grain from Breweries
Spent grain from breweries can be used as animal feed, primarily for cattle, but also for pigs, goats, fish and almost any livestock. Most breweries give the grain away to local farms. Manufacturers with single food waste streams can find local farms and ranches to donate their excess/by-product.
Anaerobic Digestion, and Fats, Oils & Grease
Fats, oils and grease, also known as FOG, can be converted to fuels and has various industrial uses. FOG and food scraps can also be anaerobically digested to create energy, and the digestate can be composted to create a soil amendment. Phoenix area options and resources include:
- Find an Anaerobic Digester
Use EPA's Excess Food Opportunities Map to identify a facility near you. - Baker Commodities Inc.
FOG collection, grease trap maintenance.
(602) 254-5971 - Grecycle
Recycles cooking oil into fuels and has pick-up and drop-off locations.
(520) 628-4300
Compost
Composting turns food scraps into a nutrient-rich soil amendment and can be done on-site in smaller amounts or on a larger scale at a municipal or commercial level.
- Use EPA's Excess Food Opportunities Map to locate a facility near you.
- Find a Composter - a searchable database of composting facilities.
- The Compost Navigator
Enter your address and any of eight material categories you’d like to sustainably manage, and the nearest composters (and AD facilities) will pop up in the map.
Composting Facilities/Operations
Location | Location | Contact |
---|---|---|
Recycled City (residential and commercial food scraps collection and composting) |
Phoenix Area | (480) 269-5149 info@recycledcity.com |
Compost Crowd (food scraps collection for residential communities, businesses, and eateries) |
Flagstaff and Sedona | (928) 301-1534 compostcrowd@gmail.com |
Disclaimer: The information contained on these pages is intended to inform the public and does not establish or affect legal rights or obligations. Links to non-EPA sites do not imply any official EPA endorsement of, or responsibility for, the opinions, ideas, data or products presented at those locations, or guarantee the validity of the information provided. Reference to any specific commercial products, process or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government and shall not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes.