Building on successes of the 2021 legislative session and continuing our years-long work with Maryland state officials and legislators to encourage composting, waste diversion, and healthy soils in the state, ILSR’s Composting for Community team has worked closely with Delegate Regina T. Boyce (District 43, Baltimore City) to introduce the Proyecto de ley sobre eliminación y desviación de residuos sólidos, compostaje en granjas y uso de compost. (HB 1070) for Maryland’s 2022 legislative session.
The bill addresses the critical need for investment into waste reduction and diversion programs and infrastructure in Maryland by establishing a major grant funding programa basado en un recargo nominal por la eliminación de residuos. Muchos otros estados, como los que aparecen en nuestro recent webinar, have similar successful grant programs in place with positive impacts on their local communities, economies, and the environment. So why not in Maryland?
The grants could total more than $30 million per year to support local governments, small businesses, non-profits, schools, farmers, and more in their efforts to advance waste prevention, reuse, repair, recycling, composting, and anti-dumping projects and infrastructure.
¿Por qué es importante este proyecto de ley AHORA?
- La nueva ley de Maryland (2021 HB 264) obliga a los grandes generadores de residuos alimentarios a desviar los residuos alimentarios del vertido. La afluencia de residuos alimentarios desviados requerirá una mayor capacidad de procesamiento. Sin el apoyo a proyectos comunitarios y agrícolas, Maryland podría acabar privilegiando las instalaciones industriales de gran tamaño.
- A Informe de 2021 reveló que los vertederos de Maryland emiten cuatro veces más metano de lo que se estimaba anteriormente, lo que subraya la necesidad de desviar los residuos alimentarios de los vertederos.
- Enormes cantidades de recursos estadounidenses se desperdician debido al desperdicio de alimentos, con graves consecuencias para el medio ambiente.
- A Informe del grupo de estudio MDE 2019 recomienda proporcionar educación y apoyo en todo el estado para el compostaje en las granjas, con el fin de aumentar la eficiencia en la gestión del estiércol y mejorar la salud de los suelos agrícolas.
Who and What will benefit from this bill?
- Local Businesses and Communities – This bill will make grant funds accessible to small businesses (e.g., restaurants, multi-family housing properties, and small haulers) interested in developing or expanding their waste diversion efforts, with priority funding going to low-income, socially disadvantaged, female, and/or veteran farmers, business owners, and communities. Existing Maryland composters are eager to work with participating businesses and farmers.
- Farmers – Farmers will benefit from grant funds to develop and improve their composting systems, meaning they can create a product that improves their soil health and farm profitability.
- Maryland Counties – Counties will receive dedicated grant funds for waste diversion and alternative waste management options, and be in a better position to extend the life of their landfills (Maryland landfills are due to reach capacity in just 25 years). 1
- Anti-illegal Dumping – Projects addressing illegal dumping will also be eligible for grant funding (including but not limited to community and river clean-ups, support for small haulers, surveillance, drop-off recycling bins, and recycling centers that accept a wide range of materials).
Haga clic aquí para obtener un resumen de una página sobre los programas de subvenciones propuestos en el proyecto de ley y las preguntas frecuentes.
It is critical to share with Maryland’s elected leaders that supporting waste diversion and on-farm composting in Maryland is important to you.
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CLICK HERE to sign on in support of this bill
Organizations that have signed on in support of this bill include: ILSR, Fundación Bahía de Chesapeake, MD-DC Compost Council, Acción por el Agua Limpia de Maryland, Agua azul Baltimore, Go Green OC / El restaurante Hobbit, Consejo para la Defensa de los Recursos Naturales, WWFUS, Curtis Bay Community Association, Ministerio de Justicia Ambiental de Cedar Lane, Echotopia, S.A.R.L., Kent Island Beach Cleanups, Greenbelt Climate Action Network, Cero Residuos USA, Fair Farms Maryland (Waterkeepers Chesapeake), Campaña de Maryland por los Derechos Humanos, Maryland Horse Council, Maryland Legislative Coalition, MLC – Climate Justice Wing, Possibility Farm, The Surfrider Foundation, D.C. Chapter, y el Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry of Maryland
*March 2022 update: This bill will likely be reintroduced in the 2023 session. Please feel free to sign on in support to help build momentum for next year!
Utilice nuestro plantilla de legislación modelo to introduce a policy like these in your own state or locality
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1 Fuente: https://mde.maryland.gov/programs/LAND/Documents/MSWMR%20%2720.pdf (p. 67)
Imagen: El edificio del Capitolio del estado de Maryland en Annapolis, Maryland. Crédito: SerrNovik. Foto de iStock por Getty Images.
