Chick-fil-A has joined the U.S. Food Waste Pact, making it the first restaurant brand to join. The Pact is a national effort to reduce food waste across the food system, according to a press release.

The Pact helps businesses track and reduce food waste through data sharing and collaborative initiatives. Food waste accounts for nearly 145 billion meals annually in the U.S. and is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.

Chick-fil-A joins 12 other food businesses in the Pact, including Walmart and Whole Foods Market. The company aims to divert 25 million pounds of food waste from landfills by 2025 through existing programs like food donation and composting, with the Pact offering additional tools and collaboration opportunities.

"At Chick-fil-A, we embrace opportunities to act as good stewards of the planet we share, and reducing food waste is a key way we demonstrate our commitment to care for the planet," Heather Beaubien, director of sustainability at Chick-fil-A, Inc., said in the release. "Joining the U.S. Food Waste Pact will help us continue to advance these efforts. Whether through expanding the Chick-fil-A Shared Table food donation program, improving data measurement or exploring other food waste diversion strategies, we look forward to working with the U.S. Food Waste Pact and its signatories to help make a positive impact on the food system in the years ahead."

The Pact provides resources and opportunities for collaboration, like working groups to share best practices and discuss solutions.

"We're excited to welcome Chick-fil-A as the first quick-service restaurant to join the U.S. Food Waste Pact," Jackie Suggitt, director of capital, innovation and engagement at ReFED, said in the release. "Food waste is a systemwide problem, and their participation brings us closer to realizing systemwide action across the food supply chain. We look forward to seeing how their work with our other signatories will impact not only their goals and efforts, but also how their participation in the Pact will serve as an inspiration for their industry peers to take action, too."

This move builds on Chick-fil-A's existing sustainability efforts and positions them as a leader in food waste reduction within the fast-food industry.

Current U.S. Food Waste Pact signatories include Ahold Delhaize USA, ALDI US, Aramark, Bob's Red Mill, Compass Group USA, Del Monte Fresh Produce Company, Lamb Weston, Inc., Sodexo USA, Raley's, Walmart Inc. and Whole Foods Market.

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