The PLEDGE™ on Food Waste operates on an annual rolling basis. The certification includes 95 criteria to guide your organization through practical steps to implement best practices and achieve food waste reductions. The entire certification process as well as the third-party audit required to achieve certification, can be completed online. HIGHLIGHTS: Register for The PLEDGE™ and receive access to a platform that provides guidance and tools for all the evidence you’ll need to meet each of the 95 criteria. Your internal Project Leader and team begin collecting evidence to meet each criterion. When your team is ready, schedule and receive an audit from a third-party auditor. On average, it takes 4-6 months from registration to reach certification. Certification is valid for a year. Before it expires, the organization will need to organize and receive another audit to maintain its status for the following year. Note: Certification levels can change from year-to-year dependent on the organization’s performance in the audit. Features of the process include: Uniform & Practical Methodology to reduce food waste across your organization Cost-effective & Scalable; criteria, compliance, and audit can be completed 100% online Design a Stakeholder Map and Foster Collaboration with existing food waste solution providers in your local ecosystem Benchmarking System; performance metrics for reporting and gamification Holistic Approach of new standard operating procedures based on best practices to cut operational costs