Donate Unsold Food
Share food with your community
When businesses donate unsold, edible food to nourish communities, they’re feeding people instead of landfills where rotting food leads to climate change. Your business can help by working closely with organizations who can accept the food you have to donate and redistribute it fast enough to feed your neighbors in need.
Want to donate food from your business but don’t know where to start? Check out the resources below to learn more:
Donate these items:
- Fresh fruit, vegetables, and protein.
- Foods prepared by licensed food establishments or in donor kitchens.
- Shelf-stable foods.
- Foods from licensed processors.
- Check with your local food pantry for more specifics.
Follow Washington State protocols for safe food handling including storage and transportation.
Donate only food that’s suitable for people to eat. Compost the rest (peels, bones, and unsafe-to-eat food) so that community organizations don’t take the burden of collecting, transporting, and then composting inedible food from your business.
Compost these items. Don’t donate them.
Remember to remove all packaging before sending these items for compost.
- Foods with safety concerns.
- Foods in soiled, torn, open, or rusted containers.
- Home-prepared foods (except baked goods).
- Foods with an “off” odor.
- Perishable foods past a “Use By” date, unless frozen.
Learn about City of Seattle food waste requirements to keep food out of the garbage.
Donate with confidence
You are legally protected. The Washington Good Samaritan law (RCW 69.80.031) and the Federal Good Samaritan Food Donation Act (PL104-210) protect individuals and businesses from being held liable if food is donated in good faith that donors believe to be safe and edible.
Receive tax deductions. Internal Revenue Code 170(e)(3) provides enhanced tax deductions to businesses to encourage donations of fit and wholesome food to qualified nonprofit organizations serving people in need. Contact a tax preparer for questions and guidance.
Find community partners who will accept surplus food
Use Washington 211 to contact an emergency food organization near you.