Client: Monterey County
Project: Edible Food Recovery Capacity Assessment

Blue Strike, in coordination with the fourteen jurisdictions and two Joint Powers Authorities of Monterey County, prepared a countywide Edible Food Recovery Capacity Assessment in 2021. This assessment included survey results from Food Recovery Organizations from a survey conducted by Blue Strike, edible food waste generation estimates from best available data from local and statewide Waste Characterization Studies, and a gap analysis assessing the additional capacity needed to recover all surplus edible food available in the county. The assessment also explores opportunities for increasing capacity, including funding opportunities, assessments of different food donation applications and analysis of existing food recovery best practices throughout the state that may be replicated. Since initial submission of the Assessment to CalRecycle, Blue Strike has maintained the Assessment as a living document, continuing to provide updated information from new surveys and Waste Characterization Studies, updated generation estimates developed with further CalRecycle guidance, and summaries of edible food recovery project progress.