- Brightly has secured the first issuance of Verra carbon credits for a project that keeps edible food out of waste streams.
- The project generated 721,649 Verified Carbon Units from qualifying food rescue between 2020 and 2023.
- Most net proceeds from credit sales will go to participating food rescue organizations to help expand their operations.
Brightly, a food waste and climate solutions company, has secured the first issuance of carbon credits under Verra’s methodology for reducing food loss and waste, creating a new potential funding stream for nonprofit food rescue organizations, as announced on Wednesday.
The credits recognize emissions avoided when edible surplus food is recovered and distributed for human consumption instead of being discarded. The project was developed with Feeding America partner food banks and independent food rescue groups across the U.S.
Participating organizations rescued 15.3 billion pounds of food between March 2020 and December 2023. After accounting for historical baselines and emissions associated with the project, 3.1 billion pounds of qualifying rescued food generated 721,649 Verified Carbon Units (VCUs).
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The credits were independently validated and verified by SCS Global Services before being reviewed and approved by Verra. BeZero Carbon gave the credits an A ex-ante rating, indicating a high likelihood that each credit represents one metric ton of avoided greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Brightly said most net proceeds from sales will be returned to participating food rescue organizations. The money can help finance trucks, drivers, refrigeration, staff and other infrastructure needed to recover and distribute surplus food.
“Brightly was founded on the belief that addressing climate change and hunger go hand in hand,” Andy Levitt, the company’s founder and chief executive, said.
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Brightly currently works with 198 Feeding America partner food banks and 28 independent nonprofit food rescue organizations, covering communities in all 50 states and about 97% of U.S. counties.
The project builds on Verra’s VM0046 methodology, which was used for the first time in a registered project earlier this year. The methodology is designed to quantify emissions reductions from keeping edible food in the human food system rather than sending it to landfills.
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