Food rescue is a relatively new practice in B.C., pioneered by Quest. It involves intercepting food from every sector of the food industry before it goes to landfills. The food is sorted, processed, and redistributed to organizations and people who need it most. All food waste products are turned into animal feed or compost.

In 2007/08, Quest rescued $7.12 million worth of fresh vegetables and fruit, meat and fish, baked goods, and other staples — that would have otherwise gone to waste. Using this rescued food, Quest fed about 40,000 people per month. Yet we're still capturing only one per cent of the food being wasted.

WHY ALL THE WASTE?

Every day, thousands of pounds of good quality food is sent to landfills, simply because it's part of a surplus that can't be sold, or because it's oddly sized, blemished, nearing its expiry date, or because the packaging is slightly damaged. For example, if a flat of canned goods is damaged in shipping, it may be cheaper for a grocer to throw out the entire flat than to pay someone to sort out the dented tins.

Sometimes the food is outright waste from being spoiled or damaged. This food is either composted or used for animal feed, so Quest is able to take it all.