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Editor’s note: This op-ed was co-authored by Heather Thompson, Table to Table executive director, Helen Lanctuit, CEO of Share My Meals and co-chair of the Meal Recovery Coalition, and Allie Wilson, director of Northeast operations, FoodRecovery.org. It first appeared on binje.com.

Every day in New Jersey, thousands of pounds of perfectly good food are thrown away—not just scraps, but perfectly edible items and full, untouched meals. At the same time, nearly 1 million residents struggle with food insecurity.

This isn’t just a moral failure — it’s a policy gap. And it’s one we have the power to close.

Recently, The Meal Recovery Coalition had the opportunity to testify before the New Jersey Assembly’s Environment, Natural Resources, and Solid Waste Committee, sharing what we know to be true: New Jersey has the potential to lead the nation in tackling food waste and hunger—not just through community programs, but through bold, bipartisan legislation.

We’ve built a coalition of corporate partners, food service providers, hospitals, universities, and community organizations to recover healthy, prepared meals and deliver them to those who need them most. Without intervention, this nourishing food—sourced from distributors and supermarkets, cafeterias, commercial kitchens, and catering services — will never reach a plate. Instead, they’re headed straight to a landfill.

With the support of state leaders, we can change that. Right now, several bills moving through the legislature would dramatically improve New Jersey’s food recovery infrastructure:

• S2426, the County Food Recovery Planning Act, would require local governments to plan for food recovery the same way they plan for recycling or composting.
• S200/A1418 would establish clear food date labeling to reduce confusion for donors and rescue organizations — because “sell by” doesn’t mean “unsafe.”
• S3889/A5387 would mandate that public colleges implement campus food waste reduction programs.
• And we strongly support the development of state tax incentives to encourage more businesses to donate surplus food.

These are smart, cost-effective steps. Research shows that every $1 invested in meal recovery yields $14 in public benefit—from avoided greenhouse gas emissions to reduced landfill use and improved public health. This is climate policy, health policy, and hunger policy in one.

We’ve seen what’s possible: our organizations alone have already recovered and redistributed enough food for millions of meals. But we’re just scratching the surface. With the right policies and partnerships in place, we could recover tens of millions more.

New Jersey can’t afford to waste another meal. We have the partners. We have the model. Now we need the momentum. Let’s make food recovery the norm across our state.

To learn more about how you, your organization, or your business can support or participate in food recovery — from donating surplus meals to partnering with local nonprofits — click here.

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Table to Table is New Jersey’s first and largest food rescue nonprofit, bridging the gap between food being wasted and people facing food insecurity. We bring rescued fresh, nutritious food to 303 community partners, including social service organizations, pantries, shelters, fresh produce markets and centralized distribution hubs. Food is provided free of charge. Through this, Table to Table touches a diversity of those in need, including families, children, veterans, and older adults, making good nutrition accessible while serving as a stimulus for other longer-term benefits. Since 1999 we have rescued more than 120,700 tons of nutritious food—enough for 241,400,846 million meals—and delivered it to our neighbors in need, saving over 544 metric tons of methane from entering the environment.

Related:

• Ridgewood Expands Food Composting Program, Report Says
• How One Livingston Teen Is Rescuing More Than Just Leftovers
• Agarwal Addressed Food Waste With New ResQFood Program
• 2 New Jersey Nonprofits Team Up to Distribute Food to Those in Need