- Hamilton County ReSource and WRAP Americas take action to save families money on International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste
- For media inquiries and interviews please contact Ian Palmer (WRAP UK), Natasha Dyer (WRAP US) or Joy Landry (Hamilton County ReSource)
On September 29th, WRAP Americas will partner with Hamilton County ReSource’s Wasted Food Stops with Us to launch a dynamic consumer education campaign in honor of the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste. The goal: help families save money and reduce food waste, an issue that costs the average American $800 a year*.
This campaign goes beyond awareness. Through community events, social media, and partnerships with schools and businesses residents will gain access to practical tools like meal-planning guides, storage tips, and creative cooking strategies to waste less and save more.
"We're making food-saving easy and accessible for everyone," says Leah Karrer, Executive Director of WRAP Americas. "By providing practical tools like meal-planning guides and storage tips, we can help take the financial pressure off families while building stronger, more resilient communities. We’re thrilled to be working with colleagues in Hamilton County ReSource through a coordinated outreach program across schools, community centers and businesses to inspire long-term habits that will cut waste and strengthen community resilience in the Greater Cincinnati area.”
Food waste isn’t just a financial burden it’s a climate issue. Globally, it accounts for 8–10% of greenhouse gas emissions. In 2022 alone, households worldwide wasted 631 million tons of food. Locally, Hamilton County is mobilizing a coalition of partners including the City of Cincinnati, Food for the Soul, La Soupe, and the Ohio Farmers’ Market Network to tackle the issue head-on.
The campaign promotes four key behavior shifts:
- Stock Check Squad – Know what you have before shopping
- The Fab 5 – Five ways to transform what you have into something delicious
- Recipe Inspir’AI’tion – Using digital prompts to come up with new recipes for what you have on hand
- Fridge Boss – Store food smartly to keep it fresh longer
Separately, Hamilton County ReSource is working with Green Umbrella and Last Mile Food Rescue to host a dedicated Wasted Food Summit on Tuesday, October 29th at Memorial Hall. The summit will bring together changemakers, chefs, business leaders, and sustainability advocates to explore innovative solutions for food waste reduction. The summit is generously funded by Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) and will serve as a regional catalyst for long-term change.
Whether you're a parent stretching the grocery budget, a student learning to cook, or a retiree looking to reduce waste, the campaign and summit offer tools and inspiration for every household.
Notes to Editor
- *According to ReFED, between uneaten groceries and restaurant plate waste, US consumers waste nearly 35 million tons of food annually, costing $261 billion. Per individual, ReFED estimates this at nearly $800 per person.
- International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste may be just one day, but the habits formed through this campaign are designed to last and Hamilton County's initiative builds on a proven model. This past April, WRAP Americas led a similar campaign during Food Waste Prevention Week in Denver, Colorado, partnering with the Denver Department of Public Health & Environment, Sprouts Farmers Market, and Denver Public Schools to deliver city-wide results.
- WRAP is a global environmental action NGO with offices in the UK, US and Australia, working to catalyse policy makers, businesses and individuals to transform the systems that create our food, textiles and manufactured products. Together these account for nearly 50% of global greenhouse emissions. Our goal is to enable the world to transition from the old take-make-dispose model of production to more sustainable approaches that will radically reduce waste and carbon emissions from everyday products. To do so we examine sustainability challenges through the lens of people’s day-to-day lives and create solutions that can transform entire systems to benefit the planet, nature and people.