Feeding a Circular Economy
There’s no reason why we can’t reduce food waste and packaging while feeding Philadelphians.
Philadelphia is already known as an international destination for food and restaurants. But even with all of this delicious dining, food waste makes up about 25% of Philadelphia’s waste stream, and in the U.S., 40% of all food is wasted before it can be eaten. This is unconscionable in a city with a 25% poverty rate and 16% food insecurity rate.
At Circular Philadelphia, we work with food recovery organizations and experts, tech companies, restaurateurs, grocers and city officials to reduce food waste, increase composting and develop systems for reusable packaging for the increased demand for take-out food during the pandemic.
Food Systems Initiatives & Other Programs
Reusable Containers
Offering reusable containers is one of the easiest things restaurants and food businesses can do to reduce the amount of waste they generate and implement circular principles. We worked with the Philadelphia Health Department to make it easy for restaurants to offer reusables and developed resources to help them get started.
Single-Use Plastic Legislation
Single-use plastics are one of the top environmental issues affecting our city and our planet. They litter our streets, leach chemicals into our food and clog our waterways. Through this policy initiative, we are working to limit their use in Philadelphia in favor of more circular products.
Urban Composting
Until recently, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania had no specific permit that would allow a smaller scale urban composting company to operate in a densely populated area, so a small composting operation was regulated in the same way as a large landfill. That has changed with the new Urban Composting Permit from the PA Department of Environmental Protection.
Community Composting
In 2019, Philadelphia Parks and Recreation piloted a Community Composting Network modeled after best practices observed in programs in Washington, DC and New York City. The Community Compost Network is now available in parks, recreation centers, community gardens and urban farm sites throughout Philadelphia.
Food Recovery
Food waste makes up about 25% of Philadelphia’s waste stream. Circular Philadelphia created a guide to support food businesses — including grocery stores, restaurants, food service providers, wholesalers, distributors, manufacturers, farmers markets, co-ops, CSAs, and more — in finding simple, effective solutions to divert surplus food from landfills.