a Food waste crisis

Our food system is deeply broken.
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31% of the U.S. food supply goes unsold or uneaten each year. This is called surplus food. 85% of surplus becomes food waste. It goes straight to landfills, incineration, down the drain, or left in the fields to rot.

Here in our home region of Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, we generate nearly 2.5 million tons of surplus food. Almost all of it goes to waste.

annual food waste statistics

#1

Food is the largest landfill material and culprit of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas.

3rd

Food waste is the 3rd largest emitter of greenhouse gasses, just behind the U.S. or China.

4 billion

Number of meals wasted in the DC, MD, VA region.

$13 billion

Value of wasted food in the DC, MD, VA region.

2%

The tiny portion of surplus food donated by businesses

Photo of hands holding a produce bag and someone placing a mango inside

a hunger crisis

Nearly 48 million Americans face food insecurity. That's equal to the entire population of Spain. These numbers are rising at an alarming rate.

food insecurity in the washington, D.C. metro area

37%

D.C. ranks among the worst U.S. metro areas for food security. Lined up, these residents would circle the Capital Beltway 6 times.

240,000

Number of local children experiencing food insecurity. They could fill every seat in 230 schools.

70%

Households that report purchasing inexpensive, unhealthy food as a coping strategy to hunger

500,000

People in our community living in poverty

our mission to solve both

Sur+ reduces hunger and waste by connecting surplus food to unmet demand using smart logistics and technology.

We're the bridge between businesses with surplus and those who need it most.

Recovered

We reclaim surplus food before it's wasted.

Redistributed

We move food quickly to those in need.

Reimagined

We rethink food recovery for lasting impact.

Reliable

We deliver consistently every time.

the Problem: A dual food issue