U.S. Food Waste Pact Welcomes Starbucks Coffee Company As Its Latest Restaurant Signatory
Starbucks Addition to Collaborative Sustainability Effort Builds on their Ongoing Sustainability Commitments
February 3, 2025 /3BL/ - The U.S. Food Waste Pact, a national voluntary agreement that is focused on reducing waste in the U.S. food system through precompetitive collaboration and data sharing, announced today that Starbucks Coffee Company has become the second Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) to join the Pact.
According to estimates from U.S. Food Waste Pact resource partner ReFED, 38% of food produced in the United States goes uneaten or unsold, with the vast majority becoming waste that gets sent to destinations like landfills, incinerators, and sewer systems. This waste has harmful effects on the environment, generating 5.2% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, which includes the highly potent greenhouse gas methane. The over 90 million tons of wasted food is equivalent to 149 billion meals, and it is worth about $495 billion annually.
“For the past 50 years, Starbucks has focused on giving back to the communities we serve. We take an innovative approach to reduce food waste, such as through our FoodShare program, where we donate surplus food from our stores to local food banks. We also help strengthen food banks to ensure donations are distributed equitably and sustainably. By participating in the U.S. Food Waste Pact, we work with others in the industry to improve food waste reduction, both within Starbucks and across the sector,” shared Kelly Goodejohn, Starbucks chief social impact officer.
Since 2016, Starbucks FoodShare program has diverted more than 75 million pounds of food from waste streams and donated more than 63 million meals. FoodShare is available in 100% company-owned stores in the U.S. and Canada, and food rescue programs operate in more than 30 global markets. Starbucks has a goal to reduce food waste in US operations by 50% by 2030, a goal aligned with many other Pact signatories in accordance with Sustainable Development Goal 12.3. Joining the Pact will bolster Starbucks’ existing efforts through the Pact’s offerings around collaboration and benchmarking.
“Having Starbucks as a signatory of the U.S. Food Waste Pact is a big step forward for the QSR subsector,” said Jackie Suggitt, VP of Business Initiatives & Community Engagement at ReFED. “Starbucks is an industry leader, especially when it comes to food donation and the example that their FoodShare program is setting. Food waste happens across the supply chain, and targeting the QSR subsector broadens our impact and action in reducing food waste systemwide.”
In addition to Starbucks, current U.S. Food Waste Pact signatories across the food system include Ahold Delhaize USA, ALDI US, Amazon Fresh, Aramark, Bob’s Red Mill, Chick-fil-A, Compass Group USA, Del Monte Fresh Produce Company, Health Care Without Harm, ISS Guckenheimer, Lamb Weston, Inc, R&DE Stanford Food Institute, Raley’s, Sodexo USA, Walmart Inc., and Whole Foods Market.
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About the U.S. Food Waste Pact
The U.S. Food Waste Pact is a national voluntary agreement that uses the “Target, Measure, Act” framework to reduce food waste across the supply chain. The Pact works with waste-generating food businesses to collect and analyze data about food waste in their operations, share best practices through precompetitive working groups, and pilot and scale solutions through intervention projects. The Pact is an initiative between nonprofits ReFED and the World Wildlife Fund. For more information about the U.S. Food Waste Pact, visit http://usfoodwastepact.org/.
About Starbucks
Since 1971, Starbucks Coffee Company has been committed to ethically sourcing and roasting high-quality arabica coffee. Today, with more than 40,000 stores worldwide, the company is the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world. Through our unwavering commitment to excellence and our guiding principles, we bring the unique Starbucks Experience to life for every customer through every cup. To share in the experience, please visit us in our stores or online at stories.starbucks.com or www.starbucks.com.
Media Contacts:
Nia D’Emilio, ReFED
nia.demilio@refed.org
Susan McCarthy, WWF
susan.mccarthy@wwfus.org
