Earth Day: Fighting Food Waste, Feeding Our Community
At ExtraFood, every day is Earth Day.
We believe that nourishing people and protecting the planet go hand in hand. This Earth Day, we’re spotlighting how food recovery is one of the most impactful ways we can reduce waste, feed people in need, and help the environment—all at once.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle... and Recover
You’ve probably heard the familiar phrase Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. At ExtraFood, we add a fourth "R": Recover.
Each year in the United States, nearly 40% of food goes to waste. That’s roughly 100 billion pounds of food—enough to fill thousands of stadiums. But the impact goes beyond what’s tossed in the trash. Food waste is a major contributor to climate change. When food ends up in landfills, it emits methane—a greenhouse gas up to 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide in the short term.
By rescuing surplus food before it’s wasted, we’re not only redirecting it to people who need it most—we’re also reducing harmful emissions and preserving the resources used to grow, transport, and package that food.
Our Earth-Saving Impact
So far in 2025, ExtraFood has rescued nearly 1 million pounds of food. We're keeping meals out of landfills and delivering them into the hands of people experiencing hunger in our community.
Since our founding, we’ve saved over 15 million pounds of fresh food, prevented countless greenhouse gas emissions, and provided over 12 million meals to families, seniors, and individuals in need across the Bay Area.
You Can Help
Fighting food waste and climate change starts with everyday actions. Here’s how you can be part of the solution:
- Volunteer with ExtraFood to help rescue and deliver food
- Donate to support our food recovery operations
- Harvest or donate produce from your farm or backyard through our Share the Bounty program
- Spread the word about the connection between food waste and climate change
🌱 This Earth Day, join us in turning good food into good for the planet. Together, we can reduce waste, feed more people, and create a greener, more sustainable future.
Learn more or get involved at ExtraFood.org.