I am so impressed that you used all recovered food for your wedding reception – it is an idea I fully support. I have one concern about your comments on how to reduce food waste. I work some with the homeless in the greater Puget Sound area – I know that some locations now spray their dumpsters with chemicals to make the food inedible and discourage homeless from being near their business. Be sure you "know" the dumpsters you are retreiving food from. Also if it is an area with homeless that dumpster may be a major source of their diet – try not to "poach" from others using dumpsters as a primary food resource.

Cate

Drgnsyr, we got food through an organization here in Montreal called Zero Food Waste, which has agreements with local grocery stores to pick up the produce that would normally go in the dumpster. There may be similar organizations wherever you are, but you'd have to look. Or start your own! Or even just go talk to a few stores near you and ask them if you can pick up their food before it gets thrown out. Or just go dumpstering yourself… there are lots of ways to reduce food waste!

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