Dive Brief:

• The Environmental Protection Agency's Food Recovery Challenge, a nationwide project that connects businesses who wish to enroll in food waste programs, food donations and food recycling with resources, welcomes 10 institutions into its program.
• The institutions include health and education facilities located throughout the state of Massachusetts.
• The EPA program has over 800 active groups and organizations who participate in the food waste program.

Dive Insight:

According to an EPA report, over 36 million tons of food scraps were produced in the US in 2011. 96% of that was discarded into landfills or incinerated. According to the EPA, the cost of disposing of food waste is $165 billion each year.

In February, Massachusetts passed a food waste ban that affects restaurants and institutions. The ban will start on October 1, 2014.