PORTLAND (AP) — The federal Environmental Protection Agency is presenting the University of Southern Maine with an award for its efforts to reduce food waste.

The university says it recovered 5.5 more tons of food in 2015 than it did in the previous year. The school says it looks like this year’s numbers will surpass last year’s record total of 71.3 tons of recovered food.

The recovered food is put to uses such as composting or animal feed at nearby farms. The university says it was the only Maine school to receive the 2016 Food Recovery Challenge Achievement Certificate.

Other New England institutions to receive the award include Northeastern University, the Boston Red Sox and Gillette Stadium.