The Coalition, which aims to promote the recovery of healthy, surplus meals from large cafeterias and deliver them to food-insecure residents across New Jersey, was celebrated by Gov. Phil Murphy, Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin and other leaders. This unique alliance, including some of the state’s largest corporations and institutions, is dedicated to reducing hunger and food waste, according to a press release through MRC.

In his keynote address, Murphy lauded the Coalition’s efforts in tackling both food security and environmental sustainability and pioneering an approach that will keep tons of food out of landfills and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Attendees also heard from experts in food security and waste reduction and engaged in discussions on how best to collaborate to support food security through meal recovery in their communities. 

“I am proud to see New Jersey lead the way in addressing hunger and food waste,” Murphy said. “The Meal Recovery Coalition is taking bold steps forward by pioneering this effort. This initiative will not only divert food from going to landfill and compost—which will reduce greenhouse gas emissions—but will also put meals on the tables of New Jersey residents facing food insecurity.”

The Coalition’s vision is to establish meal recovery as a standard practice throughout New Jersey, with the long-term goal of creating a scalable, sustainable model that can be replicated nationwide. By improving the capabilities of meal recovery programs, increasing awareness of meal recovery as a vital food source, and fostering collaboration among private, nonprofit, and government stakeholders, the MRC aims to address food insecurity and reduce food waste simultaneously. The Coalition has set an ambitious goal to recover 500,000 meals annually by 2026, which will provide sustenance to an additional 6,400 people each week.

Founding Members and Leadership

The Princeton-based nonprofit, Share My Meals, has been the driving force behind the formation of the MRC. Founding members include Bristol Myers Squibb, Novo Nordisk, Campbell Soup Company, Johnson & Johnson, Novartis, Sanofi, and Capital Health. These organizations have, between them, committed to the recovery of surplus meals as well as serving as ambassadors for meal recovery and supporting the Coalition through financial contributions and advocacy efforts.

“Nearly one million New Jersey residents live with food insecurity because they don’t have enough affordable, nutritious food,” said Helene Lanctuit, CEO of Share My Meals. “At the same time, in New Jersey alone, we estimate that 5 million prepared meals end up in landfills annually in the food service sector.

“The Meal Recovery Coalition aims to break this cycle by providing a user-friendly, safe way of diverting those meals to support food security in the state and adding them to the other food sources New Jersey is bringing to bear to achieve that goal.”

Since its inception in December 2023, the Meal Recovery Coalition has already recovered 100,000 meals, diverting over 295,000 pounds of carbon dioxide equivalent from landfills. With continued support, the Coalition aims to expand its impact exponentially.

Corporate Leadership and Community Impact

The launch event also showcased the positive effects of the MRC on local communities. Kate Barrett, President of the Campbell’s Foundation, emphasized the direct benefits of the Coalition’s efforts.

“By joining the Meal Recovery Coalition, Campbell Soup Company aims to increase access to healthy meals in our hometown community of Camden and statewide,” Barrett said. “Through our partnership with Share My Meals and Sodexo, we ensure that any surplus meals from the cafeteria at our headquarters are kept out of the waste stream and go directly to our local partner, Cathedral Kitchen, to feed residents in need.

“The Meal Recovery Coalition will enable programs like this to become the norm, empowering organizations to work together across sectors to simultaneously address the critical issues of food waste and food insecurity.”

Support and Sponsorship

The Meal Recovery Coalition is sponsored by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority and supported by Rutgers University. Together, they aim to make a significant impact on both food security and environmental sustainability in New Jersey.

To learn more about the Meal Recovery Coalition, visit our website at https://mealrecoverycoalition.org.

While food insecurity impacts approximately 10% of New Jersey residents, 40% of food goes unsold or uneaten and only 1% of this food surplus is recovered for donation. Each year, in the food service sector alone, an estimated five million prepared meals are being wasted in New Jersey, according to Share My Meals, a nonprofit organization based in Princeton.

Working with large employers across New Jersey, the Meal Recovery Coalition strives to recover all available nutritious, prepared meals from large cafeterias and other food services, preventing unnecessary landfills, as well as influence specific regulatory enablers of meal recovery and make meal recovery the norm in New Jersey. Share My Meals fights both food insecurity and the environmental impact of food waste by recovering and delivering healthy meals to local communities. 

In 2023, Share My Meals recovered and served 62,000 prepared meals from 52 food donors, distributing them to 1,500 food-insecure individuals while diverting 83,299 pounds of food from being wasted in landfills and preventing 294,539 pounds of CO2 (carbon dioxide) equivalent emissions showcasing our commitment to the planet.

Founded in January 2020, Share My Meals has been active across central and southern New Jersey, dedicated to addressing food insecurity and the environmental impact of food waste by recovering and delivering healthy prepared meals to local communities.

The NJEDA sponsorship will equip Share My Meals to recover and distribute more meals and will support the founding of a statewide Meal Recovery Coalition to empower other organizations to undertake meal recovery, according to Share My Meals.

The NJEDA serves as the state’s principal agency for driving economic growth. Through partnerships with a diverse range of stakeholders, the NJEDA creates and implements initiatives to enhance the economic vitality and quality of life in the state and strengthen New Jersey’s long-term economic competitiveness.

“Share My Meals is grateful for the NJEDA’s sponsorship of the Meal Recovery Coalition which will make a substantial difference in fighting food insecurity and food waste in the local community,” Hélène Lanctuit, CEO of Share My Meals, said. “This support exemplifies Gov. [Phil] Murphy’s commitment to creating a stronger, fairer New Jersey, where every individual has access to nutritious food and no meal goes to waste.

“We look forward to announcing the members of the MRC in the fall.”

The MRC, convened by Share My Meals, will bring together organizations across the state that wish to take a leadership role in addressing food insecurity and climate change. The goal of the Coalition will be to make meal recovery the norm for food service across the Garden State, making New Jersey a national leader in strengthening food security. Members will include corporations with cafeterias, food service providers, hospitals, and educational institutions. The Coalition will partner with nonprofit organizations and state and local governments.

“Under Gov. Murphy’s leadership, NJEDA is committed to supporting and scaling creative approaches to combating food insecurity,” said NJEDA’s CEO Tim Sullivan. “By employing meal recovery as a source of quality food for those in need, Share My Meals is demonstrating an innovative, cost effective, and environmentally friendly path forward.

“The NJEDA is dedicated to investing in initiatives that will improve food access for New Jersey residents, and that have the potential to serve as a replicable model for the rest of the nation.” 

Share My Meals is implementing an innovative and robust approach, backed by technology, to recover meals and serve them to food-insecure families and individuals directly and through nonprofit partners safely and efficiently.