Food Recovery Network (FRN) is a national non-profit with a mission to reduce food waste and combat food insecurity through the recovery and distribution of edible food waste. UC San Diego's chapter started in 2016 as a student-run organization and works on and off-campus to recover food waste from dining halls, Farmer's Markets, and grocery stores to feed UCSD students facing food insecurity.
Triton Food Pantry now features recovered FRN food items for 0 points and no limit. Items offered range and are recovered from various grocery stores, on campus dining, and restaurants.
Food Recovery Network will be offering their recovered items during Triton Food Pantry hours of operation. View Trition Food Pantry hours!
Important Update! Food Recovery Network will also be providing food to the following spaces around campus Undocumented Student Services Center, SPACES, Raza, Triton Transfer, OASIS, Cross Cultural Center, LGBT, Black Resource Center, Intertribal Resource Center & Asian Pacific Islander Middle Eastern Desi American Center. Check out their spaces!
If you have any additional questions, feel free to contact us at frn@ucsd.edu
We partner with the following programs:
We recover from the following locations!
“Let me save up money for groceries to pay rent and other expenses as an international student. Keeps me away from situations where there's no food available at all”
- Food Recovery Network User
“It has helped me understand the expiration dates and help me in financial difficulties as I could easily access quality food when it was difficult for me to go buy stuff”
- Food Recovery Network User
“On a student budget, I feel compelled to only buy the bare necessities on grocery runs. FRN has given me access to snacks that break up the monotony and give me something to look forward to. Moreover, by arriving at the end of the open hours I can avoid feelings of guilt over taking food that would have otherwise gone to those less fortunate than me and even feel somewhat good about contributing a small part to reducing food waste”
- Food Recovery Network User
2023-2024: 57,532 lbs = 47,943.33 meals
2022-2023: 55,233 LBS = 46,027.50 meals
2021-2022: 42,844 lbs = 35,703 meals
2020-2021: 22,780 lbs = 18,345 meals
2019-2020: 17,034 lbs = 14,559 meals
The UC San Diego Sustainability Awards recognizes individuals and groups that have made the campus more sustainable—from managing campus gardens to supporting food recovery for students who need it most. UC San Diego's FRN Chapter won the 2018-2019 Student Group Award. They recovered 16,387 pounds of food for the academic year.