Rethink Food Waste NY provides food waste solutions for New York businesses, municipalities, organic recyclers, food relief organizations, and others.

Save Money | Make Your Business More Sustainable
Get Help with Your Organics Recycling Facility | Receive Free Personalized Support

Easy, Practical Solutions

Consult with an expert at no cost to you

Receive customized recommendations

Implement solutions with continued free support

To learn more or get started, contact our hotline at 866-306-0911opens phone dialer or email RethinkFoodWasteNY@cetonline.org.

Helpful New York Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

New York businesses (grocery stores, restaurants, event centers, etc.), colleges, universities, municipalities, organics recycling facilities (composting, anaerobic digestion, etc.), food relief organizations, and others!

Our assistance is available at no cost to businesses, municipalities, and others in New York. This program is funded by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and delivered under contract by the Center for EcoTechnology (CET).

Depending on the organization’s needs, we can provide a virtual visit, on-site visit, or assistance via phone and email. This includes businesses or institutions that are subject to New York’s Food Donation and Food Scraps Recycling Law, but also includes businesses and other entities that are not subject to the law. Contact us so we can assess your specific needs today!

Contact one of our recycling experts at 866-306-0911.opens phone dialer We’ll ask you about your organization, the food you throw away, and your food waste reduction or diversion goals or details about your organic recycling facility needs. Depending on your needs, our customer care professionals may connect you to resources immediately or schedule a site-visit with one of our Specialists whenever it is most convenient for you.

During the site-visit (in-person or virtually), a Specialist will learn more about your operations and develop a list of potential solutions. For businesses, this can include a review of your current waste contract to identify potential opportunities for efficiency and cost savings. For organic recycling facilities, this could include a review of operations to determine means to improve or expand operations. After the site visit, we will conduct research on your behalf and deliver a report with customized recommendations for your organization, along with direct assistance to implement one or more of our recommendations.

No, CET is a non-regulatory entity that helps businesses and other organizations comply with New York’s mandatory Food Donation and Food Scraps Recycling Law, improve operations, and reduce the amount of food going into the trash. We’re here to listen to your needs, answer questions, and help you achieve your goals.

The Center for EcoTechnology (CET), has over 45 years of experience helping businesses and municipalities to reduce and properly manage waste. CET has implemented business recycling programs across the North East, including the award-winning RecyclingWorks program in Massachusetts. CET looks forward to assisting your business in your waste reduction, recycling, and composting efforts.

Food waste reduction activities may require a financial investment to implement, but these efforts can help organizations save money over time, improve employee job satisfaction, and respond to customer demands for sustainable practices. CET is a neutral party that can also help businesses comply with New York food waste laws.

Effective January 1, 2022, New York will enforce the Food Donation and Food Scrap Recycling Law. This law requires businesses that generate at least 2 tons of food waste per week and are within 25 miles of an organics recycling facility, such as a compost site, anaerobic digester facility, or animal feed operation, to recycle organic material. There are also many benefits to reducing food waste even if not required by law. By not producing food waste in the first place, or by donating surplus food, businesses can realize cost savings.

Our Specialists are ready to meet your organization wherever you are right now and help you take the first step in reducing your environmental impact. We strive to provide unbiased, actionable, and realistic recommendations to help your organization maintain compliance with existing food disposal law and achieve any additional food waste diversion goals.

We can help take your organization to the next level and will recommend unique approaches to divert even more food waste from disposal. Check out our Wasted Food Solutions toolbox for resources to learn more.

We know that your organization needs will evolve over time. We always try to provide as much assistance as possible during our first visit and will continue to support your organization afterwards. If we cannot conduct an additional site visit, we are always happy to provide assistance over the phone and through email.

We pride ourselves on being an industry leader when it comes to preventing and diverting a wide range of materials from disposal. We specialize in all forms of food recovery, from reducing food waste and donating surplus food, to recycling food scraps through animal feed, composting, and anaerobic digestion.

Call our hotline at 866-306-0911opens phone dialer or email RethinkFoodWasteNY@cetonline.org to learn more.

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