Broad Public Support as NJ Senate Votes on Food Waste Bill Today (S865)

Trenton: In advance of today's scheduled Senate vote, a broad alliance of progressive and labor groups led by Clean Water Action, Ironbound Community Corporation, and New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance submitted the following letter to members of the NJ Senate in support of the Food Waste Recycling Bill (S865):

To: Members of the NJ Senate
Date: Monday, February 10, 2020
Subject: Vote Yes on S865 Today Requires Large Generators of Food Waste to Recycle

The undersigned groups urge you today to vote yes on S865 (Smith/Bateman/Greenstein) which requires large generators of food waste to source separate and recycle it.

This bill will effectively reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution in overburdened communities by diverting waste that would otherwise be burned or buried to more sustainable mechanisms like composting. According to the U.S. EPA, anyone managing wasted food should reference the Food Recovery Hierarchy which suggests that when higher levels of the hierarchy like donating food, are not feasible, then the food waste left over should be put to beneficial use such as composted or sent to be broken down through anaerobic digestion.

A study by the Institute for Local Self Reliance determined that diverting organic waste to composting is not only more sustainable it creates more jobs in the waste sector than landfilling and incineration. On a per-ton basis, in Maryland, composting employs two times more workers than landfilling, and four times more workers than incineration. On a per-capital-investment basis, for every $10 million invested, composting facilities in Maryland support twice as many jobs as landfills and 17 more jobs than incinerators.

Last year a version of this bill included too generous exemptions for food waste going to incinerators and landfills. Governor Murphy cv’d those exemptions, the Assembly concurred with 51 yes votes in December 2019, but the Senate never had the chance to vote on that. Now you do, please vote yes!

Sincerely,