Second Harvest of Orange County: First TRUE Food Bank & USGBC-LA Sustainable Innovation Award Winner

Left to right: Denise Braun (All About Waste), Chrislynn VanSkiver (Second Harvest), Kelly Alesi (Second Harvest) and Emily DeCremer (All About Waste) at the 2023 USGBC Los Angeles Green Gala. Photo credit: USGBC Los Angeles.

All About Waste is proud to present the Second Harvest of Orange County food bank project - the 1st food bank in the world to achieve TRUE certification!

Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County and All About Waste, uniting in a powerful collaboration, have achieved TRUE Certification. Their joint commitment and unwavering dedication led to the esteemed recognition of the Sustainable Innovation Award for Excellence in the Zero Waste & Circular Solutions category at the 2023 USGBC-LA Sustainable Innovation Awards. 

This accomplishment is a testament to their dedication to combating food insecurity and their groundbreaking strides in promoting zero-waste initiatives and empowering women in sustainable practices.

We are immensely proud to have contributed to the achievement of becoming the first TRUE Certified Food Bank in the world!  This project was recently featured in an article by USGBC+. 

This certification is particularly significant given the staggering amount of food waste in the United States—80 million tons annually, with 38% of all food wasted. The sheer amount of wasted food is especially troubling when considering the 44 million individuals facing hunger.

Despite these challenges, there's hope in addressing food waste. Initiatives like the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grants and a $25 million investment from the U.S. Department of Agriculture signal a commitment to combating food waste. Second Harvest of Orange County has been a local leader in this fight, focusing on food insecurity, social inequity, and environmental stewardship.

Achieving TRUE certification was a major accomplishment for Second Harvest, involving the dedication of 95 staff members over several years. Their efforts have resulted in a diversion rate of over 95%, a testament to all the work they’ve put in to reduce waste and divert whatever they can. Key strategies include composting, reusing materials, recycling, and implementing sustainable practices throughout the organization.

Leading this sustainability effort on the Second Harvest team was Kelly Alesi, the supply chain director for the Orange County branch, whose focus on waste assessment and minimization throughout the supply chain was instrumental in reaching zero waste goals. The Second Harvest team also added, “We would not have been able to get certified without [All About Waste’s] help, and specifically all the support and time that Emily DeCremer [AAW Senior Project Manager] provided to us.” Emily supported the Second Harvest team with project management, TRUE submission review and deliverables, in addition to providing guidance when the Orange County team wasn't 100% positive on how to approach their TRUE certification credit categories.

Now, armed with valuable experience, Second Harvest is poised to assist other food banks seeking TRUE certification. Their journey emphasizes the importance of teamwork, education, and perseverance. While the road to zero waste is long and challenging, the rewards are substantial—both for the community and the environment.

"We began our work to become a Zero Waste Certified organization through TRUE over two years. Soon after, TRUE connected us with All About Waste to help us along on this new journey. AAW came to our facility and conducted a waste audit, providing a report on ways to improve our diversion. Emily DeCremer became our main point of contact and she helped us every step of the way. From discussing credits and determining how to complete them, to talking through some of the language and helping us to understand what we could do in the context of our operation, to reviewing our application and helping us to ensure we had the proper documentation and language to get certified. I am confident we would not have succeeded in our diversion and certification were it not for Emily’s work and support. We are so grateful to her and the team at AAW. They are truly experts in their field and simply the best! "  - Starlite Ossiginac; Senior Operation Manager at Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County

To learn more about the amazing work at Second Harvest Food Bank you can visit their website at https://feedoc.org/.