Thousands of pounds of food from Ohio grocery stores end up at the dump each day but food banks are expanding efforts to recover edible items before they reach landfills.

Chuck Allen, director of food strategy for Greater Cleveland Food Bank, said from dry goods to meat and dairy, organizations are collecting food from grocers which would otherwise be thrown away. Allen pointed out partnerships with retailers help food banks fill gaps for items not typically donated, including frozen meat.

“We need to be there as often as possible so that we're able to capture all the fresh dairy and the produce so we can get that back out,” Allen explained. “The majority of that product is picked up by our agencies.”

According to state data, partnerships between food banks and local retailers resulted in more than 150 million pounds of edible food being rescued across Ohio counties in 2025. The Ohio Association of Food Banks recovered 137 million pounds of food in its 12 regional pantries.

In addition to fleets of trucks making daily or weekly pickups at local stores, organizations also rely on volunteers to help prevent food waste.

David Skoke, a volunteer for the food bank, said he has noticed more major food retailers working with food banks.

“When I first started, there were plenty of stores that did not donate,” Skoke recounted. “Costco was one of them. Now they donate a lot.”

Ohio farmers are also turning to food banks to donate surplus harvests. The state’s Agricultural Clearance Program redirects fresh produce from nearly 100 Ohio farms to local pantries.

Source: Public News Service