Ecobiz.asia – Verra has approved the first carbon credits issued under its Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) methodology for reducing food loss and waste, with the Brightly project generating credits from efforts to divert surplus food from landfills and redistribute it for human consumption.

The Brightly – Reducing Food Loss and Waste project has avoided about 720,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions by rescuing surplus food before it reaches landfills.

The project uses VM0046 Methodology for Reducing Food Loss and Waste v1.0, which provides a framework for measuring greenhouse gas emissions avoided when food that would otherwise be lost or wasted remains in the human food system.

Based in the United States, the project was developed by Boston-based Brightly, which works with 29 independent food rescue organizations across the country, including Feeding America.

Between March 2020 and December 2023, the participating organizations rescued 15.3 billion pounds of surplus food, according to Verra.

“Food waste is one of the most overlooked sources of methane, and preventing it is one of the most solvable issues,” Verra CEO Mandy Rambharos said in a statement on Tuesday (Oct. 6, 2026).

“This first issuance under VM0046 proves that keeping food out of landfills can be measured with integrity, and that carbon markets can move finance to the organizations making it happen,” she said.

Brightly CEO Andy Levitt said the issuance would turn food rescue activities into a new source of funding for participating organizations.

“This issuance transforms the extraordinary work of our food rescue partners into verified climate impact and a new source of funding to help them do even more,” Levitt said.

SCS Global Services served as the validation and verification body for the project. ***