EPA asks faith groups to help reduce food waste

The Environmental Protection Agency is calling on faith groups across the country to help reduce food waste.

The agency announced its Food Steward's Pledge this week, asking religious leaders to encourage local stores and restaurants to donate excess food to food banks and hold seminars to promote smarter grocery shopping.

In Colorado, the Food Bank of the Rockies said it already partners with local churches, which make up 40 percent of its pantry donation agencies.

"It's no secret that a lot of the faith-based groups provide a lot of volunteers," said Kevin Seggelke, President of the Food Bank of the Rockies. "They're very eager to help, eager to help not only folks in their own congregation, but others as well."

Healing Waters Ministries is one of the churches that partners with the food bank, handing out the free groceries once a month.

"The most rewarding part to me is seeing somebody that came in in need through those doors and they're walking out of those doors with a full bag a food and a little bit of hope, that's what we want to do," said Jaymes Maddux, a youth pastor at Healing Waters Ministries.

The EPA's goal is to reduce food waste by 50 percent by the year 2030. The agency said reducing the amount of methane coming from the nation's landfills will slow climate change.