CNE donates more than 25,000 pounds of surplus food in Second Harvest partnership
· Toronto Sun
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The CNE, which wrapped up Monday, delivered a massive “food rescue” in partnership with Second Harvest on Tuesday as vendors donated more than 25,000 pounds of surplus food to communities in need.
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As one of the most sustainable fairs in North America, the CNE has diverted over 25 metric tonnes of waste from landfills during its 18-day fair.
Among this year’s donations were surplus produce, canned goods and leftover prepared foods.
Last year, nearly 30 CNE vendors helped to pack a truckload full of food to feed families across the GTA and surrounding communities and this year, additional vendors and concessionaires have pledged to participate in the CNE’s third annual food rescue with Second Harvest.
CNE is the country’s largest community event
As Canada’s largest community event, the CNE r ecognizes its responsibility to the community to ensure that any waste it produces during its 18-day event, including food surplus, can be offset to promote a circular economy.
Among CNE firsts:
2008: The first event at Exhibition Place to introduce organic recycling for food waste and organic materials
2008: The introduction of new solar-powered concession games on the midway
2010: The elimination of all Styrofoam packaging
2018: Began to collect waste from cooking oils to be processed, refined, cleaned and repurposed for a variety of agricultural productive uses, including animal feed, biofuel, and soil for Ontario farms
2022: Banned the use of plastic straws, encouraging compostable straws, utensils, containers, plates and cups
2025: The introduction of a waste diversion program mandating all food vendors to use a third-party certification that ensures all food serving packaging is 100% compostable
2025: Through a partnership with Coca-Cola, introduced Oscar AI machines to help guests sort and identify the proper bin to dispose of their food, plastics, and waste