Home - Save More Than Food - Central Ohio Food Waste Initiative

Compost Your Pumpkins and Gourds

Did you know that 41 billion gallons of water are used every year to grow and make food that is never eaten in our community? Central Ohio partners are working together to change that, and you can help make a difference. Read the article to learn how you can compost your pumpkins and gourds.

Pumpkins and Gourds Compost Locations

Start Preventing Food Waste at Home

There are so many proactive ways to reduce your food waste every day, like storage, canning, and composting. Visit our Prevention Hub for tons of great guides to get started!

Visit Prevention Hub

Get The New Food Storage Guide

Storing food properly saves you money and helps prevent food waste. Find out how you can keep eggs, dairy, fruits, and vegetables fresher for longer with our brand-new food storage guide.

Get The Guide

Start Your Composting Journey

Composting helps keep food waste out of the landfill, and it’s simpler than you think to begin turning your food scraps into soil! Whether you want to start a compost bin in your backyard or find a food waste drop-off near you, we make it easy.

Get Started

Did you know? Every year, the average family of four wastes $2,000 on food that is purchased but never eaten.

Eat Your Leftovers - Prevent Waste and Save Money!

Find easy ways to spice up last night's dinner leftovers and make your produce last longer.

Find Out How

Did you know? Each resident in Central Ohio wastes more than 30 gallons of water a year on food that is produced but never eaten.

Making a Difference Starts with Knowing the Facts

In Central Ohio, about 15% of material entering the landfill is food. Across the nation, as much as 40% of food is wasted. Learn about food waste in Central Ohio and the money, environmental resources, and opportunity to feed hungry neighbors that are lost when food is wasted.

Know the Issue

Did you know? For every meal missed by struggling neighbors in our community, three meals are sent to the landfill.

Take Action by Reducing Your Food Waste

Each of us has an important part to play in reaching 50% food waste reduction in Central Ohio. Get the information and tools that you need to take action at home, at school, at work, and in food businesses.

Make a Difference

Reduce Food Waste Wherever You Are

At Home On average, each of us wastes nearly a pound of food every day. Find resources on how to prevent wasted food and compost what's unavoidable.

At Home

At Work From office organics diversion to zero waste catering and events, there are many small actions that workplaces can take to reduce food waste.

At Work

At School Our schools can lead the way in teaching our youngest community members about reducing food waste.

At School

Food Businesses Reducing food waste can result in savings for your business, provide meals for the hungry and help businesses engage with their customers and community.

Food Businesses

We Can Make a Difference

Thank you for joining SWACO and the Central Ohio Food Waste Initiative in keeping food out of the landfill and reclaiming it to be a resource for our community. With your help, we can cut Central Ohio food waste in half by 2030.

Did you know? Save More Than Food was developed by 150+ partners in the Central Ohio Food Waste Initiative who worked together to provide Central Ohio with tools to reduce food waste.

Central Ohio Food Waste Initiative Food Waste Action Plan

The Central Ohio Food Waste Initiative is a collaboration of businesses, nonprofits, and government agencies within Franklin County who represent the food, farm, education, health sectors who are all working towards a single common goal: the elimination of wasted food. The Initiative is convened and supported by SWACO.

You can read about the Initiative’s plan to cut food waste in Central Ohio in half by 2030 below.

The Initiative Action Plan