Federal lawmakers reintroduce bills calling for billions in food waste recycling and prevention grants

Nov 11, 2023

Sponsors of the COMPOST Act and Zero Food Waste Act say an injection of federal funding over 10 years will help scale up local projects. These bills failed to pass last session.

Two bills meant to provide billions of dollars in funding for food waste prevention efforts and support composting projects have been reintroduced in Congress.

The Zero Food Waste Act would offer U.S. EPA grants over ten years for projects that divert or prevent food waste or gather data about food waste practices. The Cultivating Organic Matter through the Promotion Of Sustainable Techniques Act (COMPOST Act) would offer grants and loans for both large-scale and smaller-scale composting infrastructure.

Reps. Julia Brownley, D-Calif., Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, and Ann McLane Kuster, D-N.H., sponsor the bills in the House. Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Tina Smith, D-Minn., sponsor the bills in the Senate.

Supporters say it can be tough for smaller entities, like local governments and nonprofits, to scale up new projects without meaningful funding. Federal grants and loans can "support detailed planning and the robust infrastructure necessary to reduce food waste," said Yvette Cabrera, food waste director for the Natural Resources Defense Council, in a statement. Other supporters include ReFED and the World Wildlife Fund.

Both bills were last introduced in 2021 but were not able to move forward through Congress. In 2021, the COMPOST Act received support from a coalition of over 60 groups, including Californians Against Waste, packaging companies like Amcor and Dart Container, and groups like the U.S. Composting Council and Biodegradable Products Institute.

Though few recycling and waste bills passed Congress last year, President Joe Biden did sign the Food Donation Improvement Act, a bill to expand food recovery efforts and reduce food waste by making it easier for businesses and organizations to donate food.

Booker said more could be done to address the "economic, environmental, and public health costs of our country's food waste problem." The COMPOST and Zero Food Waste bills will help the country invest in more solutions that prevent food waste "or divert it to hungry Americans, or if there's no other option, ensure that food is composted instead of landfilled," he said in a statement.