States Turning Food Waste into Energy

What is happening? We’ve chatted about how California (hello, SB 1383) became the first state in the nation to address this issue.

Why is this important. Methane has 90x as much impact on warming as an equal amount of CO2. The biogas produced from food waste can turn into electricity, heat, steam, vehicle fuel, bio methane & compost.

How will this be important?

• In 2021, 5 bills across 18 states
• Tennessee and Washington, and Los Angeles and Madison, Wisconsin, have created food waste task forces.
• Maryland requires food facilities producing more than two tons of food waste a week to separate it from other waste and divert it from landfills
• New Jersey passed a law that requires producers of food waste such as hospitals, prisons, restaurants and supermarkets recycle food garbage rather than send it to incinerators or landfills.
• Vermont has close to a full ban on organic waste in landfills
• Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Washington have passed bills to keep food out of landfills

Governing | It’s Time America Stopped Throwing Out Food Waste