GREENSBORO, N.C. — A group of Triad restaurants is turning environmentalism into a competition and hopes to inspire change long after the challenge ends.

What You Need To Know

  • The Mayor’s Food Waste Challenge, which aims to keep food waste out of landfills, ended Wednesday 

  • Deep Roots Market, Natty Greene’s, Cille and Scoe, Jerusalem Market and Crafted participated in the challenge

  • Conservation experts taught restaurant staff to recycle, keep food waste logs, compost and safely donate leftover food 

The Mayor’s Food Waste Challenge is a friendly competition designed to keep food waste out of landfills and teach restaurants how to be more sustainable.

Data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture reveals 30% to 40% of the country’s food supply is wasted.

Greensboro staples Deep Roots Market, Natty Greene’s, Cille and Scoe, Jerusalem Market and Crafted participated in the weeklong challenge to make a dent in that statistic.

As part of the challenge, conservation experts taught participating restaurants how to recycle, keep food waste logs, compost and safely donate leftover food.

Crafted general manager and chef de cuisine Ry Sassano said she appreciates the opportunity to lead in the kitchen and the community.

“I love the environment. I love the idea that waste can then make the food that I put in my body more nutritious. I also like the idea of composting the correct way,” Sassano said.

Sassano said she was initially nervous that making the changes would slow them down, but she realized being sustainable doesn’t have to mean lots of extra work for busy kitchens.

She hopes to inspire other restaurants across the state to make similar changes.

“We don’t have to put forth much more effort than just throwing things into the trash,” Sassano said.

The weeklong challenge ended April 27.

Organizers said that there is not one challenge champion and that everyone wins by helping communities become more sustainable.