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Donating edible food

Learn about donating food to hunger relief organizations that serve or distribute food to those experiencing limited access. In addition to helping feed members of our community, donating edible food can reduce waste, mitigate climate impacts, and provide cost savings for businesses.

Donating food is safe and legal

Donors who provide food in good faith are protected by both state and federal laws. These Good Samaritan laws are designed to protect donors and encourage food donation. Donors must comply with state food safety rules. There are also limits on the types and sources of food that can be donated. For example, home-prepared food donations are limited to fresh produce and homemade baked goods that don’t need refrigeration to remain safe to eat. Some examples include cookies, cakes, fruit pies, and breads.

Businesses have more donation options. For details see Washington State Department of Health Charity Food Donation guidelines.

Community Organizations

Use our list to find organizations and resources that connect food donors with food distributors. Please note that this is not an exhaustive list. If you operate an organization in King County that accepts food donations, please email organics@kingcounty.gov to be added to our list.

Food products that are no longer edible can be composted, often for less than the cost of garbage disposal. Visit our Residential collection and Commerical organics diversion pages for more information.

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