CASE STUDY: Replate reinvigorate SFO’s food recovery program

When San Francisco International Airport (SFO) wanted to enhance its zero waste program, food recovery was a natural addition to the mix. The airport already incorporated composting, recycling, and landfill diversion into operations, and leadership set a goal to reduce all materials sent to landfills by 90% by 2028. 

This ambitious objective put food waste front and center...and SFO needed a professional, reliable recovery solution.

While some food recovery efforts existed prior to COVID-19, SFO brought Replate on board as its official partner in 2022, right as the pandemic began to decline, and the airport wanted to reboot the program with more infrastructure and better reporting. 

Fifteen months later, SFO has already made a substantial impact.

The organization established internal hubs for food drop-offs within each terminal, where Replate’s team retrieves donations three times a week. Food and beverage vendors are encouraged to participate on a voluntary basis, and over a third have joined the efforts.

To date, the airport has donated enough food to:

  • Create over 16,600 meals

  • Save 5.5 million gallons of water

  • Divert 41,000 pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere

Going forward, businesses will be required to adopt food recovery practices, due to California Senate Bill 1383, which aims to maximize organic waste collection and requires large venues such as airports, hospitals, and event venues to donate all surplus edible food beginning January 1, 2024. Additionally, the state mandates proper documentation and reporting of such efforts.

Replate’s data and analytical insights will further support SFO’s ability to meet this legislation, and expand its food recovery program in the long term.

To get more info on how your business can incorporate food recovery, fill out the form below and someone from our team will reach out! You can also visit our website.

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