New LAX Food Donation Policy Brings Industry-Leading Recycling and Waste Diversion Program Airport-Wide
The Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners (BOAC) approved the LAX Food Donation Policy. The policy enhances Los Angeles World Airports' (LAWA) sustainability efforts by requiring all food-serving businesses and organizations at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to donate a portion of their unsold or unused, high-quality foods to local nonprofit organizations.
"LAWA is once again leading the way in environmental sustainability and community stewardship with its food donation program that mandates the involvement of all our concessions and airport partners," said Gabriel Eshaghian, commissioner, BOAC. "This policy requires our terminal restaurants, concessions, lounges and businesses that sell or offer food to transform its unused, edible food from being wasted into something worthwhile that benefits everyone."
"Operating sustainably means managing your resources in socially responsible ways, and food is just as important a resource as water and energy," said Justin Erbacci, interim chief executive officer, LAWA. "I want to thank our board of airport commissioners and all of our airport partners for supporting this policy to send unsold food at LAX to local nonprofit organizations instead of landfills."
The policy supports Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti's "Sustainable City pLAn" and is a part of LAWA's Sustainability Action Plan (SAP), which sets aggressive goals for the airport to reduce 100 percent carbon electricity use to zero by 2045, reduce the use of potable water in non-potable usage scenarios to zero by 2045, attain carbon neutrality across operations by 2045, and to develop a plan to achieve zero waste across its facilities by 2020.
Concessionaires that distribute or sell grab-and-go food, such as sandwiches or other wrapped goods, must join a food donation program by Dec. 31. Airlines, sit-down restaurants and caterers must join a program by Dec. 31, 2021. Any new concessionaires that operate at LAX in the future must demonstrate their commitment to participating in a food donation program before opening.
A 2019 LAWA survey of LAX concessionaires with direct agreements with LAWA found that 62 percent of respondents had excess edible food that they often threw in the trash to make room for fresh items. The LAX Food Donation Policy will divert that edible food away from landfills and to organizations that help those in need.
Prior to the new policy, some airport concessionaires have already been donating unsold food since May 2012 under the LAX Harvest Food Donation Program. This program is a partnership between LAX, Food Donation Connection, HMSHost and Delaware North. In 2019, the program donated over 36 tons of food to local charities (nearly 200 pounds per day), comprised of over 145,000 food items worth nearly $600,000. Charities receiving these donations in 2019 included organizations serving the homeless, as well as the Bob Hope USO at LAX. This program will continue, and will be an option for concessionaires seeking to meet the requirements of the new policy.
