Center for Ecotechnology
Waste Not Bridgeport
$25,000

Sustainable America
Implementing the Food Too Good to Waste Toolkit
$25,000

Northeast Recycling Council
Creating Healthy Communities through Food Recovery & Composting in Vermont
$25,000

Charter Oaks Community Economic Development
$25,000

Rhode Island Food Policy Council (Third Sector New England)
The Food Too Good to Waste Ambassador Program
$24,788

• Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic: Tool Kit Keeping Food out of the Landfill - Policy Ideas for States and Localities is a resource for state and local policymakers interested in reducing food waste. The toolkit brings together lessons in date labeling, tax incentives, liability protections, organic waste bans, leftovers for livestock as well as other food waste policies, to provide state and local policy makers with a comprehensive menu of policy options to reduce food waste.

• Spoiler Alert: Food Waste Reduction & Food Donation Resources for New England is a resource for anyone who manages food that lists state-specific information on best practices for food donation, legal information on your state’s waste ban, how to find local food banks and rescue programs, and toolkits on managing organic waste and composting.

• Northeast Recycling Council: Special Event Food Waste Diversion Guide is a guide for managing vendors and food waste disposal at outdoor fairs, concerts and other special events.

• Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Commercial Organics Ban took effect on October 1, 2014 and states that a commercial food wholesaler or distributor, industrial food manufacturer or processor, supermarket, resort or conference center that generates a projected annual volume of 104 or more tons per year of source separated organic material, and is located within 20 miles of a permitted recycling facility that can accept that material, then those materials must be recycled.

• Maine Department of Environmental Protection Composting information provides resources and guidance developed by the State of Maine.

Massachusetts

• Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection Statewide Commercial Organics Disposal Ban took effect on October 1, 2014 and states that businesses and institutions that dispose of one ton or more of source separated organic materials per week divert food wastes from disposal to composting, conversion, recycling or reuse, recovery for donation or animal feed.

• Recyclingworks Massachusetts is a Statewide program that provides technical assistance to Massachusetts businesses and institutions is a state sponsored program that provides technical assistance to businesses and institutions to reduce waste including food waste.  A variety of tools and resources have been developed to support generators including food donation best management practices and other topics.

• New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services Best Management Practices for Food Waste Composting provides information for solid waste facilities in the state.

• Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management Food Waste Ban took effect on January 1, 2016 and applies only to organic waste producing institutions generating more than 104 tons per year (two tons per week). Food waste generators are exempt from recycling their materials if there is not a composting or anaerobic digestion facility within 15 miles of the institution’s location.

• Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation Universal Recycling Law (Act 148), effectively bans disposal of traditional recyclables, leaf and yard waste, and food scraps found in Vermonters' trash bins. Specifically, food scrap (organic, compostable kitchen wastes) diversion began in a phased approach on July 1, 2014 targeting food scrap generators greater than 2 tons per week and located within 20 miles of certified (composting, anerobic digestion) facility. Diversion continues to ramp up by all size generators over time and by 2020, all food scraps, including those from households, must be diverted with no exemption for distance.

• Vermont Food Donation Guidance has been developed by the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation,  the Vermont Department of Health and Vermont Agency of Education to promote food donation from businesses and institutions, as well as, kindergarten through grade 12 school share tables.

• Information on anaerobic digestion from the state Department of Environmental Conservation

• Information on food scraps and yard waste disposal in New York City

• Information about composting food scraps at Greenmarket

• City Harvest Food Rescue in New York City

• Information about composting in the City of Albany

• Food Bank of Western New York (Serving Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, and Niagara Counties)

• Information about state composting regulations

• Overview on Anaerobic Digestion from Rutgers University

Local food banks:

• FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties
• Food Bank of South Jersey
• Community FoodBank of New Jersey

• “Composting University” from the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control

• Overview of composting and regulations from the Department of the Environment

• How to compost in Prince George’s County

• How to compost in Howard County

• Food Waste Composting and Anaerobic Digestion Facilities locations

• Overview of composting and regulations from the Department of Environmental Protection

• Pennsylvania Resources Council runs composting workshops

• Find composting locations and learn more about the process from the Professional Recyclers of Pennsylvania.

• Pennsylvania Recycling Markets provides turnkey technical assistance that supports organics product development as well as new or existing market opportunities through their Organics Management Assistance Program.

• Information on state composting permits

• Information on state composting permits

• State Solid Waste Management Board materials and meeting information

Illinois

• The Illinois Food Scrap Coalition is a group of solid waste agencies, counties, community and government organizations, businesses, schools, institutions, service providers, and processors dedicated to advancing food scrap composting in Illinois through program implementation, policy, and advocacy.

• Illinois Recycling Association has more than 100 members and acts as the collective voice for recycling on critical waste management issues at the state level.

• Overview of regulatory requirements for composting facilities from the state’s Environmental Protection Agency

Indiana

• The Indiana Recycling Coalition represents the Indiana Food Scrap Initiative, a multi-stakeholder group which explores the issues behind wasted food and supports the reduction of wasted food across the state.

• Overview of composting from the Department of Environmental Management

Michigan

• The Michigan Recycling Coalition and its committee, the Michigan Organics Council, represents recycling and composting interests statewide as a recognized authority on waste reduction, beneficial utilization, recycling, and composting.

• Overview of solid waste information and regulations from the Department of Environmental Quality

• The Minnesota Composting Council is dedicated to the development, expansion, and promotion of the composting industry based upon sound science, principles of sustainability, and economic viability.

• The Recycling Association of Minnesota is committed to promoting resource conservation through waste prevention, reuse, recycling, composting and purchasing practices using the most cost effective and environmentally sound methods available in Minnesota.

• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s information on recycling and composting

• Organic Recycling Association of Ohio is a nonprofit organization that promotes the growth of the organics recycling industry in Ohio by encouraging further study, research, advancement, and development of composting and organic recycling through professionalism, education, training, information exchange and networking within the industry and with regulatory agencies.

• Overview of the Ohio Food Scraps Recovery Initiative from the state’s Environmental Protection Agency

Wisconsin

• The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Food and Organics Residual Reduction Management Subgroup. This subgroup is studying, developing and recommending a course of action for managing organics and specifically food waste in Wisconsin, including recommending potential operational practices and regulatory and legislative actions that could be undertaken.

• Overview of the composting and recycling processes and regulations from the Department of Natural Resources  

• Iowa Department of Natural Resources

• Overview of composting guidelines and resources from the Department of Natural Resources

• The Iowa Recycling Association is a statewide nonprofit that seeks to advance effective recycling by sharing resources, education and advocacy opportunities.

• The Food Rescue Partnership is a community-focused coalition committed to rescuing food throughout the Quad Cities that would otherwise be thrown away, by informing and engaging the public and by fostering partnerships among food establishments, the Foodbank, food pantries, meal sites, and shelters.

• Information from Johnson County Solid Waste District and Iowa City website about local composting and strategies for reducing wasted food.

• Kansas Department of Health and Environment

• Kansas Recycles provides users with an easy and comprehensive destination to locate recycling options in all areas of Kansas based on a database and interactive map technology.

• Keep Kansas Beautiful is the local affiliate of the national Keep America Beautiful organization, with information on recycling and composting opportunities.

• Map of food diversion facilities from Kansas State University

• Overview of home composting and its benefits from the Kansas Organization of Recyclers

• Missouri Department of Natural Resources

• The Green Dining Alliance is a restaurant sustainability certification program that works with restaurants to reduce their environmental impact by completing an on-site audit that evaluates all areas of operations, and setting personalized goals.

• An overview on the process and benefits of composting from the Mid-America Regional Council

• Missouri Recycling Association seeks to reduce waste and promote recycling.

• Information on state recycling statutes and services

• The Composting and Organics Association of Missouri is dedicated to the development, expansion and promotion of the composting and organics industry throughout Missouri.

• Earthways Center for Sustainability composts and reuses almost 100 percent of their plant and food waste.

• Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality

• Nebraska Recycling Association provides technical and grant assistance to recycling programs and communities state-wide.

• Keep Nebraska Beautiful works to inspire Nebraskans to take actions that improve and beautify our communities.

• WasteCap Nebraska is a statewide, member-based, nonprofit organization providing education, training and services to help businesses and communities reach their full potential to eliminate waste.

• Saving Grace-Feeding the 5000 collects perishable food from local food purveyors to local nonprofits that feeds hungry people, while raising awareness and providing education about food waste and hunger.

• Produce from the Heart collects donated edible produce from farmers and gardeners across Nebraska and redistributes it to pantries, homeless shelters and soup kitchens.

• The Colorado Food Recovery Network recovers meals from college dining halls and delivers them to local partners to distribute to the community.

• The Growing Project: Food Finders addresses food insecurity by making fresh, nourishing, regional food more accessible to all.

• Garfield County provides information about food rescue and resources through their LiveWell program.

• Boulder Food Rescue is a nonprofit organization whose goal is to create a more just and less wasteful food system. They completed a Food Waste Audit in 2016 to provide information about the state of food waste in Boulder.

• Denver Inner City Parish has one of the original and longest running programs offered by the Denver Inner City Parish.

• Foraged Feast is a Denver-based nonprofit that collects locally grown food that would otherwise go unused or wasted and connects those nutritional food sources with the underserved of our community.

• Food Rescue Alliance is a nonprofit organization whose goal is to create a more just and less wasteful food system. They redistribute food “waste” to agencies who serve hungry, homeless and low-income individuals while educating communities about food justice.

• Denver Food Rescue is a nonprofit focused on improving health equity outcomes by increasing access to healthy foods in low income areas.

• As an innovative provider of food for the hungry, We Don’t Waste collects excess food from venues, caterers, restaurants, and other food purveyors and distributes the food to Denver’s under-served populations.

• Produce for Pantries encourages home, school and community gardeners to plant, grow and share produce with food pantries and hunger-relief organizations in their neighborhoods.

• Care and Share Food Bank for Southern Colorado exists to ensure that the one in seven Southern Coloradoans at risk of hunger have access to enough healthy and nutritious food to thrive.

• Colorado Springs Food Rescue volunteers sustainably recover food seven days a week from donor businesses around the Pikes Peak region and deliver it directly to local nonprofit partnership programs.

• Denver Yard Harvest brings fresh produce that would otherwise go waste to people who might otherwise go without it, building community and learning more about the importance of healthy food and reducing waste.

• Ecotrust Food Hub is an online platform that connects farmers, ranchers, fishermen and specialty producers with wholesale food buyers in their region.

• Grow Montana is a broad-based food policy coalition whose common purpose is to promote community economic development and education policies that support sustainable Montana-owned food production, processing, and distribution, and that improve everyone’s access to healthy Montana foods.

• Helena Community Gardens builds gardens, provides the tools and knowledge to grow food, and increases access to healthy and affordable food.

• Montana to Farm Restaurant Connection works to increase the visibility of local producers that use sustainable agricultural techniques and the business establishments that carry their products.

• Montana Food Bank Network is a nonprofit that works to end hunger in Montana through food acquisition and distribution, education and advocacy.

• Montana Sustainable Growers Union is a group of local farmers who all farm within a 75 mile radius of Missoula and market in the state to promote buying homegrown goods.

• Information about Holy Cross Daily Bread Food Bank from Food Pantries.org

• Hunger Free North Dakota Garden Project is committed to addressing the hunger issue in North Dakota through the local foods initiative. They encourage farmers and gardeners to plant an extra acre or row of produce and donate fresh fruits and vegetable to food pantries, soup kitchens, and other charitable community programs.

• Great Plains Food Bank works to end hunger in North Dakota and western Minnesota through community partnerships.

• Feeding South Dakota (multiple chapters) works to eliminate hunger in South Dakota by working with communities, distributing food to those in need, and advocating at the state and federal level on behalf of the hungry.

• The Utah Food Recovery Network recovers meals from college dining halls and delivers them to local partners to distribute to the community.

• The Utah Food Bank Grocery Rescue Program is a strategic business alliance between Utah Food Bank and Utah retailers that provides a safe and efficient donation outlet for food that is nearing its expiration date, but is still safe, healthy and wholesome to eat.

• Wasatch Food Waste Recovery works with hotels, restaurants, and other food waste producing companies to turn food waste into energy and fertilizer using anaerobic digestion.

• EcoScraps  recycles food scraps into organic and sustainable lawn and garden products.

• Hole Food Rescue is a nonprofit organization that works to reduce food waste and food insecurity in their community.

• Wyoming Food Bank of the Rockies provides food and supplies to more than 500 hunger-relief programs.

• Local Food Recovery Guide in Phoenix

Arizona Department of Environmental Quality Waste Programs: Solid Waste Section

J.B. Shaw
(602) 771-5613
js15@azdeq.gov

• Local Food Recovery Guide in the Bay Area

• Local Food Recovery Guide in Los Angeles

• Local Food Recovery Guide in San Diego area

California's Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) Organic Materials Management

Bob Horowitz
(916) 341-6452
Robert.Horowitz@CalRecycle.ca.gov

• Local Food Recovery Guide in Honolulu

Hawaii Department of Health Office of Solid Waste Management

Lene Ichinotsubo
(808) 586-7497
lene.ichinotsubo@doh.hawaii.gov

• Local Food Recovery Guide in Las Vegas

• Local Food Recovery Guide in Reno

Nevada Division of Environmental Protection Bureau of Waste Management

Northern Nevada Recycling Coordinator: Patricia Moen
(775) 687-9466
pmoen@dcnr.nv.gov

Southern Nevada Recycling Coordinator: Rachel Lewison
(702) 486-2850 x268
rlewison@dcnr.nv.gov

U.S. EPA Region 9 Pacific Islands Office

John McCarroll
(415) 972-3774
mccarroll.john@epa.gov