Question 1

What does Waste Not do?

Accepted Answer

We bridge the gap between food waste and hunger in Arizona. We pick up excess food from food businesses and deliver it to nonprofits feeding people struggling to find their next meal.

Question 2

What is the mission and purpose of Waste Not?

Accepted Answer

By eliminating food waste and hunger through innovative community partnerships, we’re creating sustainable food systems that help people and the planet flourish.

Question 3

Who can donate food?

Accepted Answer

Food businesses like hotels, restaurants, grocery stores, catering companies, and event venues. . If you have an event like a convention, conference, or wedding, we can work with the venue or caterer of the event to take any excess food not touched by the public.

Question 4

What programs does Waste Not offer?

Accepted Answer

We offer two food rescue programs: Grocery Rescue and MealConnect.

Grocery Rescue is a scheduled program that operates Mon-Fri. We pick up from grocery stores, food suppliers, and caterers on a routine basis and deliver the food the same day as pick up to nonprofits.

MealConnect is a volunteer-based program that has no strict operating hours. Sometimes businesses don’t always know what they’ll have left over to donate. To make it easy for those unpredictable donations – MealConnect is an app that allows food business to post their donation whenever it is ready and pairs it with a nonprofit within a 20-mile radius. A volunteer then accepts the donation and picks up and drops off the food.

Question 5

What food can my business donate?

Accepted Answer

We accept produce, meats, dairy products, shelf items like cans of food, beverages, prepared food, and bakery items. All food must follow regular food safety guidelines.

Anything that requires refrigeration should be cooled down to 41 degrees or below, while frozen items are maintained at less than 32 degrees. If food was temperature controlled within the last four hours before pick up, we can now accept prepared hot food between 135 and 41 degrees and cold food between 69 and 41 degrees. Cold food (such as potato salads, precut fruit, etc.) cannot be accepted over 55 degrees.

Question 6

I have an event with excess food! What happens now?

Accepted Answer

We can rescue prepared food in two ways through a volunteer and our MealConnect program or one of our staff will come in a box truck to pick it up. This largely depends on the weight of the food donation. MealConnect is perfect for smaller amounts that can fit in the back of a normal-size vehicle where our staff's box trucks are best for larger donations.

In order to determine this, start by contacting us today.

Question 7

Who benefits from Waste Not services?

Accepted Answer

Our network of partner agencies serves the community in a variety of ways from providing mental health support to sheltering the unhoused. For a full list of our agencies, please click here.

Question 8

What is food waste?

Accepted Answer

Food waste is any food that is not consumed or lost during another phase of the food system (production, processing, distribution, and retail and food service sales). To learn about how food waste affects the environment, click here.

Question 9

What is food insecurity?

Accepted Answer

Food insecurity is not having access to sufficient food to meet one’s basic need. This could be due to loss of employment, being unhoused, a disability that renders you unable to or limits you to procuring food, and/or lack of income. To learn more about food insecurity, click here.

Question 10

How can I get involved?

Accepted Answer

Whether you are a food business that has prepared food going to waste, a nonprofit that serves a hungry community, or are looking to volunteer, your involvement will protect our environment against unnecessary waste while ensuring every Arizonan in need has fresh, nutritious food on their tables.

Give, support, or volunteer to help us achieve our mission of helping people and the planet flourish.

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