The Sustainable Choice Is Now the Easy Choice: Climate Action in Restaurant POS Systems

Each year, food waste generates greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 54 million cars driven for a year, while 1 in 8 U.S. households faces food insecurity. Leaders from Food Rescue US, ReFED, and Toast will unveil DonorLink, an innovative solution that integrates food donation directly into the point-of-sale systems already used by more than 160,000 restaurants. Together, they will explore how technology can turn surplus into sustenance while addressing one of the largest contributors to global warming - one rescue, one relationship, and one community at a time. DonorLink was created by Food Rescue US in collaboration with Toast and funded by a ReFED Catalytic Fund Grant. About Food Rescue US Food Rescue US is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to creating community, eliminating hunger, and protecting the planet by directly connecting surplus fresh food with people facing food insecurity. Through its innovative app-based model, Food Rescue US empowers volunteers to transport excess surplus nutritious food from restaurants, grocery stores, and other food donors to social service agencies feeding individuals and families who face food insecurity. By rescuing food that would otherwise end up in landfills, Food Rescue US not only helps to eliminate hunger but also reduce the environmental impact of food waste, a leading contributor to climate change. To date, Food Rescue US has saved 285+ million pounds of CO2 eq and rescued more than more than 206 million meals to 53 communities across 25 states and Washington, D.C. For more information, visit foodrescue.us or follow Food Rescue US on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram @FoodRescueUS. To become a food rescuer, sign up on our Apple iOS App or Google Android App Store! About ReFED Catalytic Grant Fund The ReFED Catalytic Grant Fund accelerates promising food waste solutions across the entire food system. Through targeted open-call cycles, we deploy recoverable and non-recoverable grants, paired with hands-on support, to initiatives with the highest potential for meaningful food waste reduction. Powered by ReFED’s best-in-class insights and deep sector expertise, each grant cycle is built around priority food waste themes, directing catalytic capital where it can unlock greater impact and funding. About Toast Toast [NYSE: TOST] is a global technology platform built for restaurant and retail businesses. From the busiest local restaurants and shops to large hospitality brands, Toast helps owners and operators manage their businesses more efficiently, drive guest demand, and build lasting success. Toast integrates software, agentic AI, payments, financial technology solutions, and hardware with a broad partner ecosystem. Powering billions of purchases throughout local commerce, Toast delivers the precision and innovation required for modern restaurant and retail environments. For more information, visit www.toasttab.com. Toast.org is Toast’s philanthropic arm, with the mission to enrich the food experience for all. To find out more, visit their website at https://toast.org/