Food Waste Bill Held

Today, the Senate did not vote on S865 (Smith). The bill requires large food waste generators to separate and recycle food waste and amends the definition of “Class I renewable energy.”

“It is unfortunate that this bill was held today, especially because it was held up last year too. This delay means more greenhouse gas emissions and more waste in our landfills. New Jersey has a serious problem with food waste, and this legislation needs to get passed this year to help deal with it. Food waste fills up our landfills and releases methane and CO2 into the atmosphere. We currently waste between 30-40% of our food supply each year. Requiring large food waste generators to compost food will help get food out of our waste stream and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “This bill was held because of pressure from landfills and others. We need this bill to move forward so we can decrease our emissions and move toward zero food waste.”

According to a report, an estimated 40 percent of food produced in the US is wasted every year. This adds up to about 62.5 million tons, costing households, businesses and farms about $218 billion annually. Also wasted were the resources that went into producing the food, including 25 percent of all freshwater consumed, 31 percent of total carbon emissions, and 80 million acres of farmland used in the US according to the EPA.

“This legislation is an important step in the right direction, and we will continue to work to get it passed. We are in a climate crisis and our waste is a major contributor. California has already reduced their food waste by 50%, and they are moving toward 75% by 2025. We need education programs to help people and restaurants learn how to reduce and reuse food waste,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “We need the Legislature to pass this bill because it will help reduce and reuse food waste in a sustainable way. Converting food to energy will produce a tremendous amount of energy while reducing methane emissions.”