A food recovery model now being eyed by neighboring counties was refined through the work of a lifelong Orange resident – whose experience as a restaurateur opened the door to turning millions of pounds of excess food into meals for the hungry.
This year, nearly 11.5 million pounds of excess food in Orange County, normally headed toward the garbage bin, went instead to help those struggling with food insecurity, thanks to a model developed by the Waste Not OC Coalition and refined by its executive director, Mike Learakos.
Waste Not OC works with restaurants, food manufacturers, schools, convenience stores, churches, cities, local trash haulers and the county to collect superfluous food and redistribute it to local food pantries.
The model thrives by creating collaborators out of competitors – all three major trash haulers in the county are on board, and members of the food industry that may typically compete in sales all join hands to make a difference, Learakos said.
Learakos is now working with the state on a refined version of Waste Not OC’s model that could be used statewide and even nationally – and interest is mounting from Orange County’s neighbors as well, he said.
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