New York City Bill Proposes Craigslist-Like Site For Food Waste

On Thursday, March 16, New York City Councilman Rafael Espinal introduced a bill that will require the city to create a website — similar to Craigslist — that will help build relationships between restaurants and supermarkets with leftover food and nonprofit organizations that try to help the hungry, New York Daily News reported.

According to Espinal, 16.4 percent of people in New York don't always have access to nutritious food.

"We must do everything we can to connect food waste to hungry New Yorkers, instead of sending it to our landfills," Espinal explained.

New York's Sanitation Department would set up the website with help from the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications. Supermarkets and eateries would then be allowed to post ads with information regarding what useful waste is available and its location. Once an ad is posted, participating organizations will be notified.

Last month, food delivery platform City Harvest also took on the task of minimizing food waste in the city by donating meals every time an order was placed. The platform was also part of an initiative to feed around 400,000 children in need.