A Guide to Food Waste Auditing

2: Do 3: Review 4: Action

Determine your goals: what is the purpose of doing the audit?

Choose your champion: this person will lead the project and keep your team engaged

Determine a sample size: measuring your food waste for 4 to 6 weeks (for at least 1 to 3 days per week) is recommended

Gather materials: bins, protective gear, scales and the Second Harvest Food Waste Audit Tracking Sheet

1: Plan

Set up categorized bins: keep it simple, choose up to 3 waste categories

Train the team: demonstrate how to sort food waste

Sort : separate the food into your bins accordingly

Weigh the waste: measure and record the weight of each bin on the Second Harvest Food Waste Audit Tracking Sheet

Analyze the waste: using the Second Harvest Food Waste Audit Calculator, analyze the data you’ve collected

Share your results: using graphs and images, present your findings to your entire team

Create your action plan: with your team, think of ways you can reduce food waste in your organization

Prioritize prevention, then recovery, then recycling to maximize your benefits

Congratulations! You’ve completed your food waste audit. Thank you for doing your part to reduce food waste in your

organization.

This resource has been generously supported by the Ontario Trillium Foundation.