Digging deeper into state legislation passed on the issue of food waste.
When it comes to food waste, Massachusetts is one of few states that have comprehensive food waste reduction initiatives and laws that help reduce the issue in the area. Their legislation has also encouraged other states to adopt similar policies to help lessen the environmental impacts of this waste.
In 2014, the state passed the "Commercial Food Material Disposal Ban" that prohibited many companies from throwing away more than 1 ton of food per week, and anything organic waste that went over this limit had to be composted, converted, recycled, or reused.
Four years later, an even more comprehensive plan was created called the "2018 Farm Bill" which included many sustainability efforts in all sectors, including food waste. In this law, $500 billion was allocated to food systems. However, there are many flaws within the bill and it fails to address many social and environmental impacts of food waste and how to effectively use the funding to help solve these problems.
The bill does include funding for spoilage prevention technology which increases the length food can be stored and increases the liability protections needed when enterprises like grocery stores and restaurants donate their uneaten food. It also increased the amount and the type of food that can be donated to food banks and soup kitchens. It added funding for more composting landfills so that these organic compounds can degrade in a sustainable way in those areas rather than in a regular landfill where methane is produced and increases greenhouse gases.
This bill also emphasized ways for the government to implement research within food waste so that new technology and efficient ways can be created to help businesses and individuals combat food waste.
With these laws and regulations, there was a lot that has been achieved and has solved some of the issues on hand. However, food waste has not been eradicated and still happens regularly. There needs to be more laws emplaced that add onto these laws highlighted above. With the help of different organizations and individuals, and of course, yourself, we can work with our politicians and help get laws passed that solve food waste.
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