Brightly Leverages Carbon Credits to Fund U.S. Food Waste Reduction and Insecurity Efforts
Brightly, an organization founded in 2023, is utilizing the voluntary carbon market (VCM) to provide a new funding source for U.S. nonprofit food rescue organizations. These organizations, including Food Rescue US and Feeding America, work to recover surplus food and redistribute it to those experiencing food insecurity. By preventing edible food from ending up in landfills, they also mitigate methane emissions, a potent greenhouse gas. Brightly developed the first U.S. project registered under Verra’s VM0046 Methodology for Reducing Food Loss and Waste, which quantifies greenhouse gas emission reductions from food waste prevention activities. This methodology allows the avoided methane emissions to be converted into high-integrity carbon credits, which are then sold to generate revenue. This innovative approach provides a more stable and long-term financial engine for food rescue organizations, enabling them to expand their operations, invest in infrastructure, and serve more communities across all 50 sta...
