Industry, Materials, and Waste Management

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.

States with Policy Enacted

In Progress

Partially Enacted

See States List

Key Resources

How State Organic Waste Ban Policies Can Drive Food Waste Reduction

An article that provides an overview of organic waste bans across states.
2024
Source:

Key Action Area: Strengthen Food Rescue

A web page featuring solutions for a stronger food rescue system to limit the amount of surplus food wasted, including modeled and unmodeled solutions, best practices, and key levers.
2024
Source:

Achieving Zero Food Waste, A State Policy Toolkit: Building and Broadening Organic Waste Bans and Beyond

A toolkit and model legislation with policy options that states can use to prevent food waste and keep food out of landfills and incinerators.

Bans and Beyond: Designing and Implementing Organic Waste Bans and Mandatory Organics Recycling Laws

A report analyzing the structure and implementation of state level organic waste bans to present a toolkit and other resources for states looking to implement waste ban policies.

Model Rules

Achieving Zero Food Waste, A State Policy Toolkit: Building and Broadening Organic Waste Bans and Beyond

A toolkit and model legislation with policy options that states can use to prevent food waste and keep food out of landfills and incinerators.

LPDD Model Law: State Law to Divert Food Waste from Landfills

A model state law that lays out a framework by which states can divert food waste from landfills to eligible processing facilities (including industrial-scale composters) or onsite composters.
2019
Source:

LPDD Model Law: State Legislation Supporting Sustainable Management of Food Waste

A model state law that targets individuals producing food residuals and establishes state policies for the reduction of food residuals, residuals' diversion for consumption, and composting.
2019
Source:

Model Compost Rule Template

A model permit structure to develop a composting rule.

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.

2014
Establishing Policies

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.

2012
Establishing Policies

Washington

Food waste target – 75% reduction by 2030, relative to 2015 levels.

2022
Establishing Policies

Food Waste Bans and Targets By State

Filters
Status State Sort descending Region Components YR Enacted
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.

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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.

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West
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.

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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.

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Southeast
Enacted
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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.

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West 2016
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.

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West
Enacted
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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.

Establishing Policies
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Northeast 2021
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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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West
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.

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West
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.

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Midwest
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.

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Midwest
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.

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Midwest
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.

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Midwest
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.

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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.

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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.

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Northeast
Enacted
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Food waste ban – The state requires businesses and institutions that generate at least 2 tons of food waste per week to dispose of food residuals via composting or anaerobic digestion.

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Southeast 2021
Enacted
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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.

Establishing Policies
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Northeast 2014
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.

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Midwest
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.

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Midwest
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.

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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.

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Midwest
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.

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West
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
Midwest
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.

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West
Enacted
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Food waste ban – Effective February 1, 2025, the state requires those who generate more than one 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.

Establishing Policies
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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.

Establishing Policies
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Northeast 2020
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.

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Southwest
Enacted
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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.

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Northeast 2019
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
Midwest
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
Midwest
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
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
West
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
Northeast
Enacted
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Food waste ban – The state requires educational entities to recycle organic waste at authorized composting or anaerobic digestion facilities, provided they generate at least 30 tons of organic waste per year and are within 15 miles of an authorized recycling facility.

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Northeast 2014
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
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.

Establishing Policies
Empty column
Northeast 2012
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
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Food waste target – 75% reduction by 2030, relative to 2015 levels.

Establishing Policies
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West 2022
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
Midwest
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

The State Climate Policy Dashboard tracks only passed policies and does not include bills currently proposed in legislative sessions. The website is intended to illustrate the current status of policies for each state, as well as key resources and model states for each policy.

Much of the information contained in this database is derived from the public domain, with links to resources provided. The information provided is made available solely for general information purposes and does not constitute legal advice. Click here for full Terms of Use.

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