Michigan Takes Action to Reduce Food Waste with $100,000 Grant

Michigan is doing something amazing to tackle food waste, and it's all thanks to a new initiative backed by a $100,000 grant from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE). The goal of this project is to deal with the serious problem of food waste in the state and also contribute to their plan of achieving a carbon-neutral economy.

A group of organizations, including the Michigan Sustainable Business Forum, Make Food Not Waste, and the Center for EcoTechnology, along with input from industry experts, are working together to create a detailed plan to reduce food waste in Michigan.

Right now, Michigan throws away more than 1 million tons of food waste every year, and this is the biggest source of trash in the state's landfills and waste-to-energy facilities.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates that about 30% to 40% of the food supply in Michigan is wasted. To tackle this problem, Michigan has set a challenging target to cut food waste by 50% by 2030, which aligns with a similar goal set by the USDA and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

This project is all about getting people from different areas of the food industry involved. They want to hear from experts about what can be done to encourage better practices, get more funding, provide technical support, and change policies to reduce food waste.

There will be different discussions focusing on specific parts of the food industry, like how food is produced, donated, and how to reduce waste with new technologies. They will also look into finding other uses for extra food and improving the way it's stored and distributed.

The idea is to bring people together from different parts of the food industry, like farmers, stores, and restaurants, to work as a team and come up with smart solutions to reduce food waste.

Michigan's new grant-funded project is a big step forward in the fight against food waste and for the health of our planet. By working together and making smart changes, Michigan is showing that it cares about the environment and wants to build a greener future for everyone.

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