Divert Inc. launches food waste legislation tracker

WEST CONCORD, Mass. — August 13, 2024 — Divert, Inc., an impact technology company with a mission to Protect the Value of Food™, today announced the release of the Food Waste Legislative Tracker, which provides insights into ongoing and existing policy issues related to food waste in the United States.

Developed in collaboration with the Zero Food Waste Coalition (ZFWC) and Harvard Law School’s Food Law and Policy Clinic (FLPC), the comprehensive tool is designed to facilitate industry-wide collaboration, advocacy, and integration into government policies to prevent, recover, and recycle food waste.

“For the past 17 years, Divert has been at the forefront of driving collaboration and solutions to accelerate our collective progress in the fight against the food waste crisis,” said Ryan Begin, CEO and co-founder of Divert. “Food waste legislation is extensive and constantly evolving. Too often, we see food industry decision makers and ordinary citizens learn about relevant legislation too late to play an effective role in shaping policy before it is enacted. Together with our partners at ZFWC and FLPC, we are committed to providing a tool that not only informs, but also empowers stakeholders across the industry to create real change.”

While there are existing resources and tools on food waste laws that have already been passed, the Food Waste Legislative Tracker is unique in that it includes information on state laws that are in the works. In this way, the tool gives decision makers, policymakers and consumers the knowledge they need to understand and influence food laws before they are implemented.

The interactive database provides an overview of food waste prevention, food rescue and food waste recycling bills in each state and includes:
? Detailed insights into the politics of all 50 states
? Topics including bans on organic waste, organic waste by-products
Procurement, food recovery and date labelling
? Summaries of the legal content
? Status updates for each tracked invoice

“Providing up-to-date information on bills currently addressing food waste issues in state legislatures is just one of the ways the Zero Food Waste Coalition is providing tools to accelerate the achievement of our national goal of reducing food waste by 50% by 2030,” said Heather Latino, clinical lecturer at Harvard Law School’s Food Law and Policy Clinic.

“Resources like these support our coalition members who are implementing food waste solutions on the ground. They know firsthand what policy opportunities and barriers exist in their communities and can use the tracker to engage in their state’s legislative process and replicate or advance supportive policy solutions.”

The Food Waste Legislative Tracker is updated quarterly.

About Divert, Inc.
Divert, Inc. is an impact technology company with a mission to Protect the Value of Food™. Founded in 2007, the company develops advanced technologies and sustainable infrastructure to eliminate food waste and create social and environmental impact. Divert provides an end-to-end solution that uses data to prevent waste, facilitates the recovery of edible food to support communities in need, and converts wasted food into renewable energy. The company works with over 6,600 customer sites across the U.S. to reduce food waste and positively impact people and the environment. Its customer base spans multiple industries and includes five Fortune 100 companies. For more information about Divert, Inc., visit www.divertinc.com.

About the Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic
The Harvard Law School Food Law and Policy Clinic (FLPC) supports partner organizations and communities by providing advice on cutting-edge food system issues and introducing law students to the practice of food law and policy. FLPC’s work focuses on increasing access to healthy food, supporting sustainable production and regional food systems, promoting community-led food system change, and reducing waste of healthy, whole foods. FLPC strives to take a cross-sector, multidisciplinary, and inclusive approach to its work, building partnerships with academic institutions, government agencies, private sector actors, and civil society with expertise in public health, the environment, and economics. For more information, visit chlpi.org/flpc. Follow them on Twitter at @HarvardFLPC.

About the Zero Food Waste Coalition
The Zero Food Waste Coalition is a national initiative designed to inform and influence U.S. food waste policy at the federal, state, and local levels to accelerate progress and build momentum by bringing together stakeholders from across the food system. The coalition was launched in April 2023 by the Natural Resources Defense Council, World Wildlife Fund, ReFED, and FLPC, formalizing a partnership that began in January 2020.

Divert Media Contact
Caroline Legg
Director of Public Relations
(203) 313-4228
[email protected]

ZFWC Media Contact
Lucy Shanker
Head of Communication
[email protected]

FLPC Media Contact
Ada Ezeokoli
Communications Manager
[email protected]