Food Waste Bans and Targets
Organic food waste, primarily food scraps, are often thrown away and ultimately decompose in landfills, releasing methane and potentially polluting waterways. Composting is an effective method of recycling organic waste, keeping it out of landfills and allowing it to generate value, as compost can be used to sustainably fertilize crop lands.
To reduce the amount of food sent to landfills and, as a result, produce greenhouse gas emissions, states may pass food waste bans or waste recycling laws. These policies prohibit certain entities that generate specified amounts of food waste from sending this waste to landfills, subject to exceptions. These typically apply to commercial businesses and larger institutions, although some apply to residential food waste as well. Setting food waste reduction targets is another policy option states can implement to ensure more food is kept out of landfills and donated or composted instead.
Key Resources
States Struggle to Curb Food Waste Despite Policies
Policy Explainer: How States Can Cut Methane Emissions Through Food Waste Bans and Targets
U.S. Food Waste Policy Finder
Achieving Zero Food Waste, A State Policy Toolkit: Building and Broadening Organic Waste Bans and Beyond
Model Rules
Achieving Zero Food Waste, A State Policy Toolkit: Building and Broadening Organic Waste Bans and Beyond
LPDD Model Law: State Law to Divert Food Waste from Landfills
LPDD Model Law: State Legislation Supporting Sustainable Management of Food Waste
Model Compost Rule Template
Model States
California
Food waste target – 50% reduction by 2020 and 75% by 2025, relative to 2014 levels.
Food waste ban – The state requires commercial generators of organic waste to either compost or anaerobically digest organic waste.
Massachusetts
Food waste ban – The state requires businesses and institutions that generate more than 0.5 tons of food waste per week to dispose of organic material via composting or anaerobic digestion.
Vermont
Food waste ban – The state has banned the disposal of food scraps and yard waste at landfills, established separate trash collection processes for organic waste, and requires all food scraps to be diverted to certified recycling facilities, including from both residential and commercial sources.
Washington
Food waste target – 75% reduction by 2030, relative to 2015 levels.
Food waste ban – The state requires businesses to compost if they produce more than 8 cubic yards of food waste by 2024, 4 cubic yards by 2025, and 96 gallons by 2026. By 2027, municipalities with over 25,000 residents are required to provide curbside composting
Food Waste Bans and Targets By State
Status | State Sort descending | Region | Components | Year Enacted | |
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Not Enacted |
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Food waste bans and targets include policies that prohibit certain entities that generate specified amounts of food waste (typically commercial businesses and larger institutions) from sending this waste to landfills. Targets aim to reduce total food waste by a certain percentage each target year. Empty column
|
Southeast | |||
Not Enacted |
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Food waste bans and targets include policies that prohibit certain entities that generate specified amounts of food waste (typically commercial businesses and larger institutions) from sending this waste to landfills. Targets aim to reduce total food waste by a certain percentage each target year. Empty column
|
West | |||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Food waste bans and targets include policies that prohibit certain entities that generate specified amounts of food waste (typically commercial businesses and larger institutions) from sending this waste to landfills. Targets aim to reduce total food waste by a certain percentage each target year. Empty column
|
Southwest | |||
Not Enacted |
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Food waste bans and targets include policies that prohibit certain entities that generate specified amounts of food waste (typically commercial businesses and larger institutions) from sending this waste to landfills. Targets aim to reduce total food waste by a certain percentage each target year. Empty column
|
Southeast | |||
Enacted |
Empty column
Food waste target – 50% reduction by 2020 and 75% by 2025, relative to 2014 levels. Food waste ban – The state requires commercial generators of organic waste to either compost or anaerobically digest organic waste. Empty column
|
West | 2016 | ||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Food waste bans and targets include policies that prohibit certain entities that generate specified amounts of food waste (typically commercial businesses and larger institutions) from sending this waste to landfills. Targets aim to reduce total food waste by a certain percentage each target year. Empty column
|
West | |||
Enacted |
Empty column
Food waste ban – The state requires commercial waste generators to recycle organic materials at authorized composting facilities, provided they generate at least 26 tons of food waste per year and are within 20 miles of a permitted recycling facility. Empty column
|
Northeast | 2021 | ||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Food waste bans and targets include policies that prohibit certain entities that generate specified amounts of food waste (typically commercial businesses and larger institutions) from sending this waste to landfills. Targets aim to reduce total food waste by a certain percentage each target year. Empty column
|
Southeast | |||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Food waste bans and targets include policies that prohibit certain entities that generate specified amounts of food waste (typically commercial businesses and larger institutions) from sending this waste to landfills. Targets aim to reduce total food waste by a certain percentage each target year. Empty column
|
Southeast | |||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Food waste bans and targets include policies that prohibit certain entities that generate specified amounts of food waste (typically commercial businesses and larger institutions) from sending this waste to landfills. Targets aim to reduce total food waste by a certain percentage each target year. Empty column
|
Southeast | |||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Food waste bans and targets include policies that prohibit certain entities that generate specified amounts of food waste (typically commercial businesses and larger institutions) from sending this waste to landfills. Targets aim to reduce total food waste by a certain percentage each target year. Empty column
|
West | |||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Food waste bans and targets include policies that prohibit certain entities that generate specified amounts of food waste (typically commercial businesses and larger institutions) from sending this waste to landfills. Targets aim to reduce total food waste by a certain percentage each target year. Empty column
|
West | |||
Enacted |
Empty column
Food waste ban – In counties with composting facilities, permanent large event facilities with a capacity of at least 3,500 people, such as convention centers and sports stadiums, must offer food and organic waste composting. Empty column
|
Midwest | 2024 | ||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Food waste bans and targets include policies that prohibit certain entities that generate specified amounts of food waste (typically commercial businesses and larger institutions) from sending this waste to landfills. Targets aim to reduce total food waste by a certain percentage each target year. Empty column
|
Midwest | |||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Food waste bans and targets include policies that prohibit certain entities that generate specified amounts of food waste (typically commercial businesses and larger institutions) from sending this waste to landfills. Targets aim to reduce total food waste by a certain percentage each target year. Empty column
|
Midwest | |||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Food waste bans and targets include policies that prohibit certain entities that generate specified amounts of food waste (typically commercial businesses and larger institutions) from sending this waste to landfills. Targets aim to reduce total food waste by a certain percentage each target year. Empty column
|
Midwest | |||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Food waste bans and targets include policies that prohibit certain entities that generate specified amounts of food waste (typically commercial businesses and larger institutions) from sending this waste to landfills. Targets aim to reduce total food waste by a certain percentage each target year. Empty column
|
Southeast | |||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Food waste bans and targets include policies that prohibit certain entities that generate specified amounts of food waste (typically commercial businesses and larger institutions) from sending this waste to landfills. Targets aim to reduce total food waste by a certain percentage each target year. Empty column
|
Southeast | |||
Enacted |
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Food waste ban – The state requires businesses and institutions that generate the following amounts of food waste to divert food waste from landfills or incineration: - 2 tons of food waste per week and located within 20 miles of an organics recycler, between July 1, 2030 and June 30, 2032 - 1 ton of food waste per week and located within 25 miles of an organics recycler, starting July 1, 2032 The Department of Environmental Protection may adopt composting rules for any person or facility that generates "at a single location an annual average of less than one ton but greater than 100 pounds per week of food waste" or is located farther than 25 miles from an organics recycler, no sooner than July 1, 2035. Establishing Policies
Empty column
|
Northeast | 2025 | ||
Enacted |
Empty column
Food waste ban – The state requires businesses and institutions that generate at least 1 ton of food waste per week and are within 30 miles of a composting facility to dispose of food residuals via composting or anaerobic digestion. Empty column
|
Southeast | 2021 | ||
Enacted |
Empty column
Food waste ban – The state requires businesses and institutions that generate more than 0.5 tons of food waste per week to dispose of organic material via composting or anaerobic digestion. Empty column
|
Northeast | 2014 | ||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Food waste bans and targets include policies that prohibit certain entities that generate specified amounts of food waste (typically commercial businesses and larger institutions) from sending this waste to landfills. Targets aim to reduce total food waste by a certain percentage each target year. Empty column
|
Midwest | |||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Food waste bans and targets include policies that prohibit certain entities that generate specified amounts of food waste (typically commercial businesses and larger institutions) from sending this waste to landfills. Targets aim to reduce total food waste by a certain percentage each target year. Empty column
|
Midwest | |||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Food waste bans and targets include policies that prohibit certain entities that generate specified amounts of food waste (typically commercial businesses and larger institutions) from sending this waste to landfills. Targets aim to reduce total food waste by a certain percentage each target year. Empty column
|
Southeast | |||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Food waste bans and targets include policies that prohibit certain entities that generate specified amounts of food waste (typically commercial businesses and larger institutions) from sending this waste to landfills. Targets aim to reduce total food waste by a certain percentage each target year. Empty column
|
Midwest | |||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Food waste bans and targets include policies that prohibit certain entities that generate specified amounts of food waste (typically commercial businesses and larger institutions) from sending this waste to landfills. Targets aim to reduce total food waste by a certain percentage each target year. Empty column
|
West | |||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Food waste bans and targets include policies that prohibit certain entities that generate specified amounts of food waste (typically commercial businesses and larger institutions) from sending this waste to landfills. Targets aim to reduce total food waste by a certain percentage each target year. Empty column
|
Midwest | |||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Food waste bans and targets include policies that prohibit certain entities that generate specified amounts of food waste (typically commercial businesses and larger institutions) from sending this waste to landfills. Targets aim to reduce total food waste by a certain percentage each target year. Empty column
|
West | |||
Enacted |
Empty column
Food waste ban – The state requires those who generate more than 1 ton of food waste per week are prohibited from disposing of that waste in a landfill if there is an alternative facility with capacity and authorization to manage food waste within 20 miles. Empty column
|
Northeast | 2023 | ||
Enacted |
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Food waste ban – The state requires commercial waste generators to recycle organic materials at authorized food waste recycling facilities, provided they generate at least 52 tons of food waste per year and are within 25 miles of a permitted recycling facility. Empty column
|
Northeast | 2020 | ||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Food waste bans and targets include policies that prohibit certain entities that generate specified amounts of food waste (typically commercial businesses and larger institutions) from sending this waste to landfills. Targets aim to reduce total food waste by a certain percentage each target year. Empty column
|
Southwest | |||
Enacted |
Empty column
Food waste ban – The state requires food scraps generators to donate excess edible food for human consumption and shall dispose of remaining food scraps at an organic recycler, provided they generate at least 2 tons of food scraps per week and are within 25 miles of an organics recycler. Empty column
|
Northeast | 2019 | ||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Food waste bans and targets include policies that prohibit certain entities that generate specified amounts of food waste (typically commercial businesses and larger institutions) from sending this waste to landfills. Targets aim to reduce total food waste by a certain percentage each target year. Empty column
|
Southeast | |||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Food waste bans and targets include policies that prohibit certain entities that generate specified amounts of food waste (typically commercial businesses and larger institutions) from sending this waste to landfills. Targets aim to reduce total food waste by a certain percentage each target year. Empty column
|
Midwest | |||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Food waste bans and targets include policies that prohibit certain entities that generate specified amounts of food waste (typically commercial businesses and larger institutions) from sending this waste to landfills. Targets aim to reduce total food waste by a certain percentage each target year. Empty column
|
Midwest | |||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Food waste bans and targets include policies that prohibit certain entities that generate specified amounts of food waste (typically commercial businesses and larger institutions) from sending this waste to landfills. Targets aim to reduce total food waste by a certain percentage each target year. Empty column
|
Southwest | |||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Food waste bans and targets include policies that prohibit certain entities that generate specified amounts of food waste (typically commercial businesses and larger institutions) from sending this waste to landfills. Targets aim to reduce total food waste by a certain percentage each target year. Empty column
|
West | |||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Food waste bans and targets include policies that prohibit certain entities that generate specified amounts of food waste (typically commercial businesses and larger institutions) from sending this waste to landfills. Targets aim to reduce total food waste by a certain percentage each target year. Empty column
|
Northeast | |||
Enacted |
Empty column
Food waste ban – The state requires entities to recycle organic waste at authorized composting or anaerobic digestion facilities if they are within 15 miles of an authorized recycling facility, and generate the following amount of food waste per year: - Higher education and research institutions: at least 52 tons/year - Other educational entities: at least 30 tons/year - All other generators: at least 104 tons/year Empty column
|
Northeast | 2014 | ||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Food waste bans and targets include policies that prohibit certain entities that generate specified amounts of food waste (typically commercial businesses and larger institutions) from sending this waste to landfills. Targets aim to reduce total food waste by a certain percentage each target year. Empty column
|
Southeast | |||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Food waste bans and targets include policies that prohibit certain entities that generate specified amounts of food waste (typically commercial businesses and larger institutions) from sending this waste to landfills. Targets aim to reduce total food waste by a certain percentage each target year. Empty column
|
Midwest | |||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Food waste bans and targets include policies that prohibit certain entities that generate specified amounts of food waste (typically commercial businesses and larger institutions) from sending this waste to landfills. Targets aim to reduce total food waste by a certain percentage each target year. Empty column
|
Southeast | |||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Food waste bans and targets include policies that prohibit certain entities that generate specified amounts of food waste (typically commercial businesses and larger institutions) from sending this waste to landfills. Targets aim to reduce total food waste by a certain percentage each target year. Empty column
|
Southwest | |||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Food waste bans and targets include policies that prohibit certain entities that generate specified amounts of food waste (typically commercial businesses and larger institutions) from sending this waste to landfills. Targets aim to reduce total food waste by a certain percentage each target year. Empty column
|
West | |||
Enacted |
Empty column
Food waste ban – The state has banned the disposal of food scraps and yard waste at landfills, established separate trash collection processes for organic waste, and requires all food scraps to be diverted to certified recycling facilities, including from both residential and commercial sources. Empty column
|
Northeast | 2012 | ||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Food waste bans and targets include policies that prohibit certain entities that generate specified amounts of food waste (typically commercial businesses and larger institutions) from sending this waste to landfills. Targets aim to reduce total food waste by a certain percentage each target year. Empty column
|
Southeast | |||
Enacted |
Empty column
Food waste target – 75% reduction by 2030, relative to 2015 levels. Food waste ban – The state requires businesses to compost if they produce more than 8 cubic yards of food waste by 2024, 4 cubic yards by 2025, and 96 gallons by 2026. By 2027, municipalities with over 25,000 residents are required to provide curbside composting Empty column
|
West | 2022 | ||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Food waste bans and targets include policies that prohibit certain entities that generate specified amounts of food waste (typically commercial businesses and larger institutions) from sending this waste to landfills. Targets aim to reduce total food waste by a certain percentage each target year. Empty column
|
Southeast | |||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Food waste bans and targets include policies that prohibit certain entities that generate specified amounts of food waste (typically commercial businesses and larger institutions) from sending this waste to landfills. Targets aim to reduce total food waste by a certain percentage each target year. Empty column
|
Midwest | |||
Not Enacted |
Empty column
Food waste bans and targets include policies that prohibit certain entities that generate specified amounts of food waste (typically commercial businesses and larger institutions) from sending this waste to landfills. Targets aim to reduce total food waste by a certain percentage each target year. Empty column
|
West |