FOOD WASTE IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST SUSTAINABILITY CHALLENGES we face today, with nearly 40 percent of food in the U.S. going uneaten. But tackling this problem doesn’t have to be overwhelming—small, thoughtful changes can add up to make a big impact. That’s exactly what the Sustainable Business Network’s Food Saver Challenge set out to prove.
Last year, the Sustainable Business Network invited Philadelphia-area businesses to take a closer look at their food waste, experiment with solutions, and refine their sustainability practices. From bakeries to caterers to restaurants, each participant found creative ways to minimize waste, repurpose ingredients, and build a more mindful food system.
The lessons they learned aren’t just for businesses—they can help home cooks cut down on food waste, too. Whether it’s freezing extra ingredients, composting scraps, or finding inventive ways to use leftovers, these practical strategies can make any kitchen more sustainable.
Here’s a look at three of the challenge participants and how you can apply the lessons they learned to your home today.
crust vegan bakery
Sustainability was baked into Crust’s mission from the beginning. But participating in the Food Saver Challenge provided an opportunity to refine their approach. Co-owner Meagan Benz shares how the challenge helped her implement structured waste tracking, find creative ways to repurpose ingredients, and reinforce sustainability habits.
“We’ve always tracked our waste, but the challenge gave me the accountability to prioritize it,” Benz explains. As a bakery owner juggling multiple responsibilities, she found that setting a routine for reviewing waste logs helped her catch inefficiencies and make decisions before food went bad.
One big takeaway? Actively repurposing food waste. “Before, we might toss over-baked cookies into the compost, but now we grind them into crumbs for cheesecake batter or pie crusts.” Her team got extremely creative about this when they soaked cookie crumbs in milk to make cookie-infused frosting for cakes. “It was such a good idea!” Benz says.
Beyond recipes, Crust Vegan Bakery found other ways to reduce waste. One example? They created a delivery driver snack bin. “We get a lot of deliveries, and sometimes we have baked goods that don’t quite meet our standards but are still delicious. So we started offering treats to drivers,” Benz says. Not only does this prevent waste, but it also builds goodwill and brightens everyone’s day.
They also donate surplus baked goods to local community fridges or nonprofits instead of letting them linger in storage. “If something isn’t perfect for sale but still totally edible, we get it into the hands of people who can enjoy it,” she says.
It was these flashes of genius combined with their relentless efforts to banish waste that led Crust to victory in the Food Saver Challenge.
The Food Saver Challenge reinforced what Crust Vegan Bakery has believed from the beginning: Sustainability isn’t just about reducing waste—it’s about being thoughtful with resources. “The biggest lesson is to be proactive,” Benz says. “If you wait too long to repurpose food, it’s too late. The key is planning ahead and making sustainability part of your daily routine.”
From repurposing ingredients to fostering community goodwill, Crust Vegan Bakery is proving that a zero-waste mind-set can be both delicious and impactful.
Crust’s tips for reducing food waste at home
Benz encourages developing small but impactful habits to cut down on waste:
Freeze everything.
“When in doubt, freeze it. Overripe bananas, extra frosting, or even single portions of leftovers can be saved for later.”
Get creative with scraps.
Blend softened fruit into smoothies, turn stale bread into croutons, or use veggie peels for homemade broth.
Make food visible.
“Most waste happens when people forget what’s in their fridge,” Benz notes. She recommends using clear containers and labeling items with dates.
Share excess.
If you have too much of something, consider giving it to a neighbor or donating it to a community fridge.
phíladelphía cateríng co.
Philadelphia Catering Co. (PCC) has long been committed to sustainability, but participating in the Food Saver Challenge gave them the chance to take their efforts to the next level. Ian Casey, sustainability manager for PCC, shared insights about the challenge and how it helped refine their waste reduction practices.
“For us, the challenge provided structure and motivation,” Casey explains. “We’ve always strived to be sustainable, but this put a fire under us to refine and expand our efforts.” PCC’s team embraced the challenge, rallying around new initiatives that not only reduced waste but also improved efficiency and reinforced their values.
One of the biggest takeaways from the challenge was enhancing their composting program. PCC partnered with Bennett Composting to divert all food waste from landfills, which led to the creation of an herb wall outside their facility. “The beauty of it is full-circle sustainability,” Casey says. “We use composted soil from our food scraps to grow fresh herbs, which our employees can take home or donate to local pantries.”
PCC also installed solar panels to power their storage facility, and they plan to implement a rainwater collection system to irrigate their herb wall. Additionally, they switched from plastic bottled water to reverse osmosis filtered water in reusable dispensers, eliminating hundreds of plastic bottles per event.
Catering has traditionally been waste-heavy, but PCC is proving that it doesn’t have to be. “We truly believe we can get to net-zero waste,” Casey says. “The challenge pushed us to think bigger, and we’re excited to help other businesses reduce their impact, too.”
By implementing thoughtful changes, PCC is not only making catering more sustainable but also inspiring individuals and businesses alike to rethink their approach to food waste. “Sustainability isn’t just good for the planet—it makes us more efficient and more connected to our food,” he says.
With continued innovation and commitment, Philadelphia Catering is setting a powerful example for a greener future.
PCC’s tips for reducing food waste at home
Drawing from PCC’s sustainability efforts, Casey shares several practical tips for home cooks:
Compost your food scraps.
If you can’t use food scraps in cooking, compost them to enrich the soil instead of sending them to landfills.
Get creative with leftovers.
“Our chefs turn vegetable cuttings and meat trimmings into delicious staff meals,” Casey notes. Try making soups, stocks, or stir-fries with leftover ingredients.
Use citrus peels for cleaning.
Casey recommends soaking lemon peels in vinegar for a natural, chemical-free cleaner.
Opt for climate-friendly ingredients.
“Lower-carbon proteins like beans and tofu have a smaller environmental footprint than beef or lamb,” Casey says. Even swapping chicken for beef can make a difference.
Reduce single-use plastics.
Switch to reusable water bottles and containers whenever possible.
bar hygge
For Bar Hygge, a cozy neighborhood brewery and restaurant in Philadelphia, sustainability has been a priority since its inception in 2016. But when the team joined the Food Saver Challenge, they discovered new ways to repurpose food waste and refine their eco-friendly practices. General Manager Jacqlyn Boerstler shared insights from their experience and offered practical take-aways for home cooks looking to reduce food waste.
Bar Hygge had a strong foundation going into the challenge, already composting all food scraps and repurposing leftover ingredients for inventive staff meals. “We’ve always composted, but this challenge helped us quantify our impact and rethink how we could push sustainability even further,” Boerstler explains.
One of their biggest innovations was making dog treats from spent grain leftover from brewing beer. “We’re in a very dog-friendly neighborhood, so instead of tossing the grain, we started baking it into free treats for customers’ dogs,” she says.
They also began donating food scraps to a local agricultural school, where they’re used for farming projects. “We realized we could close the loop on food waste by giving back to the community in ways we hadn’t considered before,” Boerstler says.
While many restaurants struggle with waste, Bar Hygge is proving that small, thoughtful changes can make a big difference. “This challenge really made us pause and think: What more can we do?” Boerstler says. “Sustainability isn’t about big, sweeping changes—it’s about those little daily shifts that add up.”
With continued dedication, Bar Hygge is leading the way in sustainable dining, offering valuable inspiration for individuals and businesses alike. “The biggest takeaway? Get creative and think twice before tossing anything,” Boerstler says. “You’d be surprised at what you can do.”
The Food Saver Challenge made it clear that reducing food waste isn’t just good for the environment—it’s good for business, community, and creativity in the kitchen. The participating businesses found that with a little planning and a willingness to rethink habits, it’s possible to make sustainability second nature. •
Bar Hygge’s tips for reducing food waste at home
Bar Hygge’s approach offers several easy-to-adopt strategies for reducing food waste at home:
Transform, don’t toss.
“Before tossing something, think about how you can use it differently,” Boerstler advises. Turn old bread into croutons, freeze overripe bananas for banana bread, or make broth from vegetable scraps and chicken bones.
Maximize citrus peels.
“We use orange peels for cocktails, but at home you can candy them, make a simple syrup, or even infuse vinegar for cleaning.”
Consider half portions.
If you tend to cook more than you can eat, try scaling down your portions or meal prepping to avoid unnecessary waste.
Donate what you won’t use.
Bar Hygge partners with Food Connect to donate excess bread and other perishables. “Even if you only have a small amount, food rescue organizations can put it to good use,” she says.
Now, it’s your turn.
By adopting even a few of these waste-saving strategies at home, you can stretch your grocery budget, reduce your environmental footprint, and make the most of the food you bring into your kitchen. Small changes add up—one ingredient, one meal, and one habit at a time.
FOOD ILLUSTRATIONS BY AKININAM – STOCK.ADOBE.COM
POCKET GUIDE TO COMPOSTING
All of the businesses we talked to about the Food Saver Challenge mentioned composting as an important part of their sustainability efforts. And composting is an easy way to keep organic waste out of the landfill while creating nutrient-rich soil that can be used to grow new food.
What Does it Cost?
If you don’t have the space or setup for backyard composting, many local services can pick up your food scraps for a small monthly fee—typically ranging from $15 to $30 per month, depending on the provider. Some services even offer finished compost back to customers, so you can put those nutrients to work in your garden.
Who is in My Area?
A few local composting businesses that service the Philadelphia area:
Bennett Compost. Bennett Compost picks up from over 6,000 homes and businesses across Philadelphia every week, keeping over 125 tons of material out of the landfill every month. Bennettcompost.com
Mother Compost. Live out in the Main Line area? Mother Compost has you covered. This sustainability-minded business provides composting service in Bala Cynwyd, Wynnewood, Penn Wynne, Narberth, Ardmore, Havertown, Haverford, Bryn Mawr, Villanova, St. David’s, West Chester, Wayne and Devon. Mothercompost.com
Kona Compost. This eco-friendly provider helps make composting easy in Bucks County, serving Yardley, Newtown, Doylestown, Morrisville, Washington Crossing, New Hope, Perkasie, Sellersville, Jamison, Richboro, Langhorne, Dublin, Fountainville, Furlong, and Holland.
Circle Compost. A woman-owned company that handles both household and commercial composting across Center City, South Philly, West Philly, Manayunk, Roxborough, the Riverwards and more. Circlecompost.com
Community Compost Network. If you can’t swing the fee for the composting services above, the city does offer a free way to keep food waste out of the landfills. The Community Compost Network supports composting at 13 sites across the city. They won’t pick up your composting, but you can drop it off. Phila.gov/programs/farmphilly/community-composting
What Can You Compost?
Most composting services accept common food scraps like fruit and vegetable peels, coffee grounds, eggshells, and grains.
Many also take compostable paper products, tea bags, and even small amounts of meat and dairy.
However, things like plastic, glass, metal, and greasy or heavily processed foods are generally not compostable.
Each composting service has its own specific guidelines, so be sure to check with your provider to learn exactly what they accept. With plenty of local options available, it’s easier than ever to turn your kitchen waste into something useful instead of sending it to the landfill.
