Starbucks has become the second restaurant company to join in the national effort to reduce food waste, it was announced Monday.
The Seattle-based coffeehouse chain has joined the U.S. Food Waste Pact, a voluntary effort that seeks to remove food waste from the supply chain, and is designed for companies to share best practices on reducing waste within their own operations.
In the battle to slow climate change, food waste is a huge issue.
An estimated 38% of food produced in the U.S. goes uneaten or unsold, and the vast majority of that ends up in landfills, incinerators or sewer systems. That waste is estimated to generate 5.2% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, including the “super pollutant” methane, according to ReFED, a nonprofit partner for the pact, along with the World Wildlife Fund.
Chick-fil-A last year was the first chain restaurant company to join the pact, which was born out of the climate-change conference COP28 in Dubai in late 2023.
So far, the pact has drawn in grocers and other retailers, including Ahold Delhaize USA, Aldi US, Amazon Fresh, Walmart, Raley’s and Whole Foods Market. Foodservice contractors Aramark, Compass Group USA and Sodexo USA are also signatories, as are suppliers like Bob’s Red Mill, Del Monte Fresh Produce Co. and Lamb Weston Inc.
Starbucks has set the goal of cutting its food waste in half by 2030 (from 2019 levels). One way the chain is doing that is by donating excess food to nonprofits.
Since 2016, Starbucks says it has diverted more than 75 million pounds of food from waste streams through its FoodShare program, which is available in all company-owned stores in the U.S. and Canada. Unsold food is collected at the end of each day for donation to hunger-relief organizations. The tax dollars saved through the donations are reinvested to cover the cost of logistics.
Starbucks operates about 11,242 units in North America.
Kelly Goodejohn, Starbucks chief social impact officer, said the coffeehouse chain also helps strengthen food banks to ensure donations are distributed equitably and sustainably.
Jackie Suggitt, vice president of business initiatives and community engagement at ReFED, said in a statement, “Having Starbucks as a signatory of the U.S. Food Waste Pact is a big step forward for the QSR subsector. Starbucks is an industry leader, especially when it comes to food donation and the example that their FoodShare program is setting. Food waste happens across the supply chain, and targeting the QSR subsector broadens our impact and action in reducing food waste systemwide.”
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