The Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) celebrates the Biden-Harris Administration’s National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste and Recycling Organics, the most recent development in federal efforts to “build a more circular economy for all.” The Strategy details action steps to reduce food loss and waste by 50% by 2030 through preventative measures, increased organics recycling, and supportive policies.
The Strategy’s mission is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, cut costs for Americans, and build cleaner, healthier communities. It offers a blueprint for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to optimize historic funding opportunities and build on existing stakeholder efforts. The Strategy follows a series of federal advancements connecting food, waste, and climate systems and progressing toward national and global recycling, waste, and methane reduction goals.
ILSR is encouraged to see the federal government’s growing recognition and continued elevation of composting as a solution imperative to tackling climate change, building equitable communities, and fighting environmental injustices. Most notably, we applaud the inclusion of decentralized organics recycling in the Strategy as a priority solution with abundant community benefits. The Strategy’s targeted support of decentralized composting through funding and policy solutions is crucial to meeting waste diversion, climate, and food security goals.
“Enhance support to advance de-centralized (i.e., community-scale, on-farm and home composting) organics recycling, with emphasis on Tribal communities and communities with environmental justice concerns, allowing all communities to benefit— economically and environmentally—from certain types of organics recycling efforts.” – Objective 3-C, National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste and Recycling Organics
ILSR submitted recommendations to strengthen a draft version of the Strategy during the public comment period in February 2024. More than 10,000 comments, including 337 unique comments, were submitted by private individuals, industry, non-profit organizations, and more. Recommendations from ILSR and allies are now reflected as action steps in the final version of the National Strategy, including:
- Support “on-farm composting” as a decentralized organics recycling solution that can benefit all communities economically and environmentally
- Develop strategies to streamline the issuance of permits for new composting facilities by states, addressing a major barrier to entry for local, decentralized composters
- Study the effects of depackaging equipment to address contamination in the organic waste recycling stream
- Synthesize the latest science related to contamination by plastic and PFAs in organics recycling
- Evaluate technology and regulatory approaches that could be incorporated into updated federal performance standards/emissions guidelines for municipal solid waste landfills (New Source Performance Standard (NSPS)/Emissions Guidelines under Section 111 of the Clean Air Act)
- Explore federal procurement related to finished compost products
- Assess the environmental footprint of transportation for organic waste collection, a material distinction between local, decentralized operations and far-away industrialized systems
- Explore recommendations for federal procurement related to food waste prevention
- Include actions that federal agencies can take to prevent and reduce wasted food within their own operations
- Phase out the sale of PFAs for use in paper food packaging in the U.S. market
Overall, the Strategy prioritizes benefits to communities, especially those with environmental justice concerns, and emphasizes the myriad benefits these solutions provide. In line with this vision, ILSR strongly supports the development of additional organics recycling infrastructure, expanding the market for products made from recycled organic waste, like compost, and addressing contamination in the waste stream. The Strategy’s focus on policy change at all levels of government underscores the need for proactive policymaking to cultivate a sustainable, equitable, and thriving future for all.
While the federal government advances solutions, widespread progress can only occur with critical intervention by state and local governments. The Strategy includes “support to Federal, Tribal, territory, state, and local policymakers aiming to build more circular economies.” In addition to robust funding opportunities, the Strategy offers technical assistance, tools and resources, education and outreach materials, and model policy and program examples to be replicated. We urge states and local jurisdictions to seriously consider adopting model policies and take advantage of support and information from EPA, USDA, and FDA, including:
- EPA and USDA will identify barriers to on-farm and decentralized composting and share information with partners, such as state and local policymakers.
- EPA and USDA will identify model community composting operations, consider beneficial connections with community gardens, identify supportive and prohibitive policies and regulations, and share outreach materials to support the advancement of community and home composting, highlighting its environmental, economic and social benefits.
- EPA and USDA will provide subject matter expertise and technical assistance to federal agencies, Tribes, territories, states, and local governments, as requested, on policy approaches and options for reducing food loss and waste and increasing food waste [recycling] and/or other organics recycling [and addressing contamination in the organic waste recycling stream].
- USDA and EPA will continue to conduct research and develop new [customizable] materials to communicate the benefits, costs, and impacts of using compost…in a variety of applications, such as building climate resilience and a more circular economy.
- EPA will highlight and amplify state and local examples of successful policies and initiatives.
ILSR also offers extensive policy and program resources. See our Model Composting Policy Library and Composting Policy Resource Hub for models, tools, and resources to take action immediately.
We hope the Strategy builds momentum and catalyzes further action on decentralized composting in order to foster thriving, diverse, and equitable communities. Today, we celebrate this positive step forward for composting!
Photo: Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack (U.S. Department of Agriculture, Public domain)