The Western Michigan Food Recovery Council is a multidisciplinary council of food system stakeholders that promotes food recovery among local businesses and institutions West and Southwest Michigan, principally Kent, Ottawa, Muskegon, Kalamazoo, Allegan, Van Buren and Berrien counties.  It serves 80 commercial, industrial, municipal and community stakeholders through peer-to- peer education, multidisciplinary
networking, technical resources, and opportunities for collaboration.

Michigan disposes of an estimated 1.1 million tons of food waste through its municipal waste stream each year, the single largest source of material disposed in the state’s landfills and waste-to-energy facilities. West Michigan disposes of an estimated 132,000 tons of food waste, while Southwest Michigan disposes of an estimated 106,000 tons of food waste. Nationally, the USDA estimates that as much as 40% of food purchased is waste.   Business and institutions generate a slight majority of food waste, according to the Food Waste Reduction Alliance, and offer the most opportunity for recovery improvement.

Meetings are quarterly with additional support provided virtually as needed.  Contact Daniel Schoonmaker at dschoonmaker@wmsbf.org to learn more.

WMFRC is a member of the Michigan Local Food Policy Council Network.