CookUnity Redistributes More Than 1.4 Million Pounds of Food Through a Nationwide Rescue Network

The company combines prevention with redistribution of meals through more than 30 partners, including chef-led nonprofit Rethink Food, to reduce the climate impact of wasted food

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CookUnity, the first chef-led marketplace and meal delivery service, announced today that it has redistributed more than 1.4 million pounds of edible surplus food through a nationwide network of more than 30 partners since launching its food rescue program in 2021. This marks a significant milestone in the 10-year-old company’s mission to empower chefs to feed and nourish the world and its core belief that great food belongs on people’s plates, not in landfills.

CookUnity’s entire production model prioritizes preventing surplus from the outset to redistribute eligible food to its communities. Since 2022, CookUnity has maintained a cumulative food waste rate of 1.86% of its total meal production. This is compared to the estimate that commercial kitchens typically waste 5% to 15% of the food they purchase (according to Leanpath).

CookUnity estimates that its total food donations represent the equivalent footprint of saving 160.6 million gallons of water and avoiding 2,700 metric tons of CO₂e emissions released into the atmosphere. To reduce surplus, the company focuses on a mix of demand forecasting, real-time tracking, and digital tools and training for chefs and their teams – ensuring each kitchen is appropriately equipped to reduce unnecessary waste. In the kitchens, chefs play a vital role in identifying edible surplus food that meets food safety and donation requirements.

Over the past year, CookUnity has nearly quadrupled its in-facility Sustainability Operations and food recovery staffing, growing from four team members to 15, led by María Bengochea, Director of Sustainability, Nutrition & Standards.

“To accomplish our mission, everything we do centers on building a more equitable, sustainable food system. Over the last five years, we've worked closely with our chefs and a network of local and national organizations across the U.S. to address food insecurity and expand access to great, nourishing food,” said Bengochea. “Today's milestone reflects that work: actionable programs that reduce and divert food surplus from the start, and more than a million pounds of food that reaches people instead of going to waste.”

CookUnity launched its food rescue program five years ago with the goal of providing nutritious meals to neighbors and local communities near its kitchen facilities, and it made its first surplus food donation through Rethink Food. The chef-led nonprofit connects restaurants and food businesses with community-based organizations to deliver nutritious, high-quality, dignified meals where they're needed most.

“CookUnity’s continued support helps Rethink Food turn high-quality excess food into nutritious meals for communities experiencing food insecurity,” said Matt Jozwiak, Founder and CEO of Rethink Food. “This partnership reflects what’s possible when food businesses build responsible redistribution into their operations: less food goes to waste, more meals reach our neighbors, and local communities are strengthened with dignity and care.”

Since kicking off with Rethink Food in NYC, CookUnity’s reach has expanded to cover nearly the entire continental U.S. Today, CookUnity is partnered with more than 30 organizations around the country working to collect and redistribute food surplus, including City Harvest, FoodCycle LA, GEM, Nourish Miami, The Kindness Campaign, and The SOW Family. In local communities across the greater Los Angeles and Southern California region, CookUnity has collaborated with Pow Wow On Parade Foundation to provide food supplies following emergency events, including the Eaton Fire and Boyle Heights warehouse fire – matching available surplus food and rapidly mobilizing food distribution to communities directly affected.

According to the UNFCCC, food loss and waste account for 8-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions each year, nearly five times the amount of total emissions from the aviation sector. In the United States, nearly 114 billion meals worth of food are unsold or uneaten each year, as cited by ReFed. Food production itself is also vastly resource-intensive, requiring high amounts of energy, land, and water – nearly a third of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions are linked to our modern food system.

CookUnity also operates a returnable-packaging program with Dispatch Goods, which has recorded more than five million bag reuse cycles since 2022. For more information, visit www.cookunity.com/sustainability.

About CookUnity
CookUnity is the first chef-led marketplace, bringing meals from the world’s top culinary talent directly to people's homes, fresh each week. Founded in 2016 by Mateo Marietti and Clara Fernandez Quiroga, the company’s mission is to empower chefs to nourish the world. CookUnity's pioneering business model places the power directly in chefs' hands, providing creative control, fully equipped kitchens, and direct access to millions of eaters. From Michelin-starred legends to rising culinary superstars, CookUnity's collective of chefs offer an elevated home dining experience – and an unmatched variety of cuisines and dietary options – without sacrificing convenience. For more information, visit www.cookunity.com or follow us on social media (@cookunity).

About Rethink Food
Rethink Food is a chef-led nonprofit on a mission to create a more sustainable and equitable food system. The organization partners with restaurants, food businesses, and community-based organizations to provide chef-crafted, nutritious meals to communities experiencing food insecurity, while supporting local food businesses and strengthening community-based food access. Since 2017, Rethink Food has provided more than 35 million meals, directed over $164 million to local restaurants and food businesses, and repurposed more than 3 million pounds of food. Learn more at rethinkfood.org and follow @rethinkfood on Instagram.