The staggering cost of Cincinnati's food waste
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Our Daily Bread, the Over-The-Rhine soup kitchen where every bite of food served is rescued or donated. Photo: Courtesy of Hamilton County ReSource
Even as soup kitchens like Our Daily Bread in Over-The-Rhine face growing demand, Hamilton County throws away more than 276 million pounds of food every year.
Why it matters: Waste reduction advocates are working to stem that tide. Amid rising grocery prices and food insecurity, they want to feed hungry neighbors instead of filling landfills.
The big picture: Local businesses alone discard an estimated $312 million worth of food each year, according to Hamilton County ReSource, the county agency responsible for recycling and waste reduction.
- Food scraps account for roughly 16% of residential landfill waste and 14% of commercial and industrial waste, says Mary Cropenbaker, assistant solid waste manager with ReSource.
- ReSource offers free waste audits and grants of up to $15,000 to help businesses reduce waste and connect with food rescue organizations.
Meanwhile, Cincinnati has a robust food rescue network. Local organizations recovered 17,629 tons of food in 2024 — the equivalent of 29 million meals.
Zoom in: Our Daily Bread, Cincinnati's largest soup kitchen, has relied entirely on rescued and donated food from restaurants and businesses throughout its 41 years of operation.
- The kitchen typically serves 600–700 meals daily, though executive director Georgine Getty says it recently served 785.
- Demand has doubled since 2016.
- "We literally could not do what we do without rescued food," Getty says.
By the numbers: Our Daily Bread is also tackling its own waste, with impressive results.
- A September ReSource audit found its daily landfill-bound trash fell 70% since 2023, from 238.5 pounds to 71.7 pounds, following the introduction of composting and expanded recycling.
- The organization now composts an average of 67.3 pounds of food scraps daily.
The bottom line: Getty says rescued food has transformed the quality and variety of meals her kitchen serves, especially fresh fruits and vegetables.
- "We're very proud of the food we serve."
