Ma’yan Tikvah Policy on Minimizing Waste at Communal Events
This minimizing food waste policy aims to promote sustainable and regenerative practices, reduce environmental impact, and foster Jewish values. We are establishing these guidelines and procedures for minimizing food and other waste at Ma’yan Tikvah events as both a spiritual and practical commitment, to reflect our understanding of who we are as a community.
​
We remember that the mitzvah of bal tashchit teaches that even in times of war, we are not to chop down fruit-bearing trees. Midrash understands this more generally as not to waste or destroy, even in extreme circumstances. On the secular level, the recent UN Food Waste Index Report 2024 tells us that about one third of all food is wasted - about a billion meals a day - while three quarters of a billion people are impacted by hunger. We are committed to reducing hunger in part by reducing waste.
​​
We would like to make these commitments concrete by focusing on three areas: minimizing waste; composting as possible; and donating or recycling what remains.
Three Strategies
1. Minimize Waste
We will start to minimize waste by being thoughtful in terms of what we bring to events, seeking under this spiritual umbrella to eschew conveniences such as boxes of single use drink or other individually wrapped items.
​
Participants who are bringing food to events are encouraged to seek out sustainable sources as much as possible, recognizing that this may not always be feasible due to cost and convenience issues.
​
Ma’yan Tikvah will strive to let participants and any caterers know how many attendees are expected in an effort to avoid over-ordering food, while still providing for sufficiency and varying dietary preferences. At the same time, we also strive to focus on proper handling and storage of perishable items to minimize food waste and ensure safety. Participants are encouraged to be mindful of their food choices and portion sizes.
​
Event leaders who are bringing written materials or providing arts and crafts projects are urged to minimize the resources used, in particular with paper copies, and encourage use of recycled and natural materials to whatever extent possible.
2. Compost
Ma’yan Tikvah has held many events at local farms, and directly experienced the benefits of compost. We support composting as closing the farm-to-table loop, and giving back to farm soils. At Ma’yan Tikvah events, food scraps and non-consumable food items will be separated for composting. Ma’yan Tikvah will provide designated composting bins at event venues and educate attendees and staff on proper waste segregation. The organization will create plans for transporting compostable items to composting locations after each event.
3. Sharing – Donating and Recycling
As possible, surplus food that is safe for consumption will be donated to attendees, local charities, shelters, or food banks. To this end, Ma’yan Tikvah will develop a list of appropriate donation venues.
​
Ma’yan Tikvah will also recycle any non-food items that are recyclable.
Evaluation
While both recognizing the difficulty of ongoing evaluation and desiring to maintain our commitments, Ma’yan Tikvah will make every effort to keep track of how we are doing by encouraging event leaders to report on such things as the amount of food or other items diverted from landfill and the number of meals donated. Ma’yan Tikvah will also collect feedback from event leaders and participants, any catering services, and partnering organizations to assess the effectiveness of the policy and identify areas for improvement. This will allow the organization to celebrate progress and keep improving in waste reduction.
Revision
The policy will be reviewed annually to ensure relevance and effectiveness. Amendments or updates to the policy may be made based on feedback, changes in regulations, or emerging best practices.
Roll Out
The Ma’yan Tikvah Food Waste Policy will be announced on Rosh HaShanah 5785 and at the beginning of the school year with each class by the teachers. It will remain posted on the Ma’yan Tikvah website and sent out in the newsletter.
Conclusion
We would like to think about these three strategies even if we have to carry our compost and recycling out in buckets (to follow the old camping adage of “pack it in, pack it out”).
​
This policy underscores Ma’yan Tikvah's commitment to sustainability and care for the earth. By minimizing food waste at events, we contribute to environmental conservation efforts, support our local communities, reduce hunger, and fulfill our spiritual obligations. All Ma’yan Tikvah members and event participants, of any age, are encouraged to embrace and uphold the principles outlined in this policy for a more sustainable and regenerative future.