From: Ontario Food Collaborative
News Release
October 1, 2025 – York Region, Ontario
Ontario Food Collaborative (OFC) and York Region Food Network (YRFN) are joining The Regional Municipality of York to take a bold step in the fight against food waste with the launch of a new virtual toolkit, “Beyond the Green Bin: How Partnerships Reduce Food Waste and Strengthen Communities”, under the “All Taste, No Waste” initiative. This initiative is supported by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). The toolkit can be found on the Ontario Food Collaborative’s website here – OFC Toolkit
The “Beyond the Green Bin” toolkit is designed to help municipalities, businesses, non-profits and community organizations collaborate on practical solutions to reduce food waste while strengthening local food security.
Food waste is a growing environmental and social challenge. In Canada, nearly 60% of food produced is lost or wasted each year at an “estimated loss of $58 billion” Second Harvest (2024), contributing to greenhouse gas emissions, environmental degradation and decreasing landfill capacity. At the same time, 6.9 million Canadians face food insecurity, with many relying on food banks and community programs. This toolkit serves as a vital resource to bridge this gap—ensuring surplus food is redistributed effectively, food waste is minimized, and municipalities and communities are empowered to create sustainable food systems.
This free, user-friendly toolkit, funded in part by the Government of Canada, provides strategies, worksheets, and best practices to foster partnership-driven approaches to food waste reduction. It also includes easy-to-download promotion and education materials for organizations of all sizes.
The toolkit helps reduce food from being wasted. The toolkit also helps create resilient food systems that benefit the environment and local communities by educating businesses, food banks, municipalities, and community groups on effective food waste reduction strategies and fostering collaboration between key stakeholders.
Quotes
York Region values collaboration and sharing expertise with partners to find innovative solutions. By working together, we can overcome challenges and achieve more. York Region recognizes the Beyond the Green Bin toolkit is essential for fostering productive partnerships to reach our shared goals to reduce food waste.
– Lindsay Milne, Director, Waste Management and Forestry, The Regional Municipality of York
On behalf of the Ontario Food Collaborative, we are proud and honoured to be part of developing this important resource to move our local circular food economy forward. One partnership at a time, we can build a more resilient, sustainable, and food-secure future that supports individuals and families in eating well and reducing avoidable food waste. We are very pleased to be the home of this toolkit and look forward to the positive outcomes we hope it brings to all.
– Heidi Levitzky, Waste Management Services Advisor, Niagara Region and Chair of Ontario Food Collaborative
Quick Facts
- “In Canada, $49 billion worth of food is sent to landfill or composted each year”, National Zero Waste Council (2019).
- “Canada’s largest food rescue organization unveils groundbreaking findings on food waste in 2024. Over 46% of all food in Canada is wasted every year. 41% of this is avoidable with a value of $58 billion. Best before dates account for 23% of avoidable food waste from processor to purchase”, Second Harvest (2024).
- Target Audience: Municipalities, businesses, food rescue organizations, non-profits, and community groups looking to implement food waste reduction strategies.
- Toolkit Focus Areas:
- Establishing food-sharing networks and partnerships.
- Implementing best practices for food rescue, redistribution, and composting.
- Supporting circular economy initiatives that turn surplus food into community assets.
- This initiative aligns with Canada’s commitment to achieving zero food waste in landfills by 2030 and advancing circular economy principles.
Associated Links
Environment and Climate Change Canada Project Description
Contacts
York Region accessyork@york.ca
Ontario Food Collaborative ofc@ontariofoodcollaborative.ca