WHAT IS MEAL RECOVERY?

Meal recovery is an innovative approach to addressing the significant issues of food insecurity and food waste. 

Meal recovery complements the efforts of traditional food resources such as food pantries and community kitchens, and substantially increases the amount and types of healthy food available to those who are hungry in our communities.

Introducing THE MEAL RECOVERY COALITION

Striving to Make Meal Recovery the Norm in New Jersey

The Meal Recovery Coalition is working to grow meal recovery statewide by:

Developing a sustainable and scalable model that can be replicated nationwide.

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SCALING MEAL RECOVERY STATEWIDE

To achieve its goal of recovering the estimated 5 million surplus prepared meals, the MRC is recruiting more corporate, educational and healthcare members with large cafeterias, along with other food service providers. They are working with nonprofits in their communities to deliver the meals to those in need. And they are connecting with government officials to make meal recovery the norm across the state.

Groundbreaking technology underpins the meal recovery program to track meals from pick up to deliver. It was developed with Share My Meals through the generous donation of time and talent of Accenture using the Salesforce application. 

The STAN tool records and reports meals recovered, carbon dioxide emissions saved and equivalent pounds of food saved to show the impact; two problems addressed with one safe solution.

Public Sector

Policymakers, government officials, and regulatory agencies focused on addressing food insecurity and positively impacting on the environment are working to make meal recovery the norm.

The New Jersey Economic Development Authority is a founding sponsor of the Meal Recovery Coalition as an innovative, cost effective, and environmentally friendly approach to combating food insecurity.

Non-profits

Nonprofits are joining the MRC in making meal recovery the norm throughout New Jersey and ensuring recovered meals go to those who need them most. They receive the meals recovered and serve them to members of their community who are facing food insecurity.

Volunteers

Individual citizens of New Jersey care about their neighbors and their environment. Meal recovery relies on individual or corporate volunteers to transport the meals from the cafeterias where they are prepared, to the tables where they are eaten. The MRC is grateful to all individuals who are part of meal recovery.

Share My Meals

Share My Meals is the driving force behind meal recovery efforts, having launched their local meal recovery program in multiple counties in New Jersey and developed a proven methodology, they are now facilitating the initiative’s expansion to a statewide effort.