DNR's Waste Characterization Study

Thursday, October 6th, 2022 -- 2:01 PM

(By Charlie Hildebrand and Riley Sumner, Wisconsin Public Radio) The state Department of Natural Resources’ 2020-21 waste characterization study estimates that 854,000 tons of food were thrown away in Wisconsin last year; over 70 percent was still edible, which DNR calls "wasted food."

While 1.7 billion pounds of edible food ended up in the garbage in Wisconsin, 1 in 11 people across the state faced hunger. Groups across the state have searched for alternatives to get food that would be wasted to people in need.

"(The Food Recovery Network) addresses both food waste and food insecurity at the same time because they’re paradoxical problems," said University of Wisconsin-Madison student Morgan Barlin, who graduated in May.

"We shouldn’t be throwing away food at the same time that people in our community are also going hungry, and so it seems like the most practical and easy way to kind of ameliorate different issues in our food system."

But redistributing restaurant and grocery food that has not yet spoiled is controversial within the charitable food assistance world, and difficult to accomplish under existing food-handling standards.

Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.