Case Study: Food Waste Measurement and Consumer Education in Households

Save the Food, San Diego! EcoChallenge

This case study shares results and key findings from the Save the Food, San Diego! EcoChallenge, a program piloted by the San Diego Food System Alliance to engage individuals across San Diego County in fun, competitive food waste tracking challenges, with the goal of reducing food waste through consumer education.

Starting in 2019, the Alliance partnered with six institutions in San Diego County—two corporate campuses, two university campuses, and two jurisdictions—to pilot the program to 887 participants, including students, staff, faculty and employees.

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This case study was prepared by Sarah Feteih and Geertje Grootenhuis (San Diego Food System Alliance) and Andrew Boulding (WRAP), and published and supported by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and Commission on Environmental Cooperation (CEC).

The EcoChallenge was fully funded by a grant from the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) through California Climate Investments.

The EcoChallenge is part of the Save the Food, San Diego! campaign, through which San Diego Food System Alliance educates residents about the impact of wasted food at the household level.