Our food system is deeply broken.
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 DC, Maryland, and Virginia, we generate nearly 2.5 million tons of surplus food. Almost all of it goes to waste.
Food is the largest landfill material and culprit of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas.
Food waste is the 3rd largest emitter of greenhouse gasses, just behind the U.S. or China.
Number of meals wasted in the U.S.
Value of wasted food in the U.S.
Financial cost of food waste in the U.S.
The tiny portion of surplus food donated by U.S. businesses
Nearly 48 million Americans face food insecurity. That's equal to the entire population of Spain. These numbers are rising at an alarming rate. Meanwhile, we waste more than double the amount of food needed to close the hunger gap.
D.C. ranks among the worst U.S. metro areas for food security. Lined up, these residents would circle the Capital Beltway 6 times.
Percent of local children experiencing food insecurity. They could fill every seat in 230 schools.
Households that report purchasing inexpensive, unhealthy food as a coping strategy to hunger
People in our community living in poverty
Sur+ reduces hunger and waste by connecting surplus food to unmet demand using smart logistics and technology. We're the tie between businesses with surplus and those who need it most.
We reclaim surplus food before it's wasted.
We move food quickly to those in need.
We rethink food recovery for lasting impact.
We deliver consistently every time.
Reducing hunger and waste by connecting surplus food to unmet demand using smart logistics and technology.
hello@surplusfoods.org
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