Regulations Promote Food Donation and Fight Climate Change
by Reducing Emissions
Latest Statewide Effort to Reduce Food Insecurity in
Communities Statewide
State Department of
Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos
today announced the adoption of final regulations to implement New
York's Food Donation and Food Scraps Recycling Law. The law and
implementing regulations are a critical step in addressing contributors
to climate change and assisting those in need by supporting the donation
of quality food. The regulations require large generators of food scraps
to donate wholesome food to the maximum extent practicable, helping New
Yorkers struggling with food insecurity by increasing the amount and
variety of food available through relief organizations across the State.
Commissioner Seggos said, "Americans
currently waste about a quarter of all the food purchased, which directly
leads to the creation of methane and other greenhouse gases and negative
environmental impacts. These wasted food resources can now be used to
help people in need instead of contributing to climate change. The
regulations released today are a perfect example of a common-sense
approach to promoting food recycling while also helping the hungry and
reducing waste to build healthier, environmentally sustainable
communities."
Wasted food has significant
environmental, social, and economic impacts. Removing organics from
landfills is a key recommendation under the Climate
Action Council's Waste Panel to help achieve New York's ambitious Climate
Leadership and Community Protection Act's goals to significantly reduce
greenhouse gas emissions and put the State on a path to carbon neutrality
economy-wide by 2050.
The regulations implement the
2019 Food Donation and Food Scraps Recycling Law's requirements
for all designated food scrap generators to donate excess edible food and
send food scraps to an organics recycler if one is available within 25
miles of the generator. The resulting increase in food donation will help
New Yorkers in need and create jobs to assist the not-for-profits that
handle food donations. The law also requires generators to recycle food
scraps by using organics recyclers (composting facilities, etc.) to
reduce the amount of food scraps that would otherwise end up in landfills
and ultimately produce methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Composting
facilities and other organics recyclers produce beneficial organic soil
conditioners that are needed to improve the quality of poor soils and
reduce erosion.
DEC's regulations define a
food scrap generator as an entity that generates an annual average of two
tons of food scraps or more per week at a single location. These entities
include, but are not limited to, supermarkets, food service businesses
such as restaurants, higher education institutions, hotels, food
processors, correctional facilities, and sports
or entertainment venues. New York City, hospitals, nursing homes, adult
care facilities, and elementary and secondary schools are exempt.
The regulations also detail
requirements to donate excess food and recycle food scraps if an organics
facility is available, as well as annual reporting. In addition, the
regulations include a temporary waiver provision for generators that
demonstrate a need to be excluded from certain requirements, such as a
lack of food scraps transporters nearby. The regulations also outline
requirements that apply to transporters, transfer facilities, landfills,
and combustion facilities to ensure that once the food scraps are
separated by the generator, they are ultimately recycled and not
disposed.
The full and final regulations can be found
on the DEC website. For more information about food waste, go to DEC's
website.
New York State has taken
decisive action to combat food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic,
including the launch of the Nourish
New York program statewide and a pilot partnership with
HelloFresh to provide fresh meals to veterans, military families, and
other residents in New York City, among other initiatives. Last
July, Governor Cuomo announced $1.5
million in funding for Feeding New York State to support its network of
10 regional food banks, as well as local farms to help provide milk and
produce to food insecure New Yorkers in response to the increased need
for food bank services due to the economic and public health impacts of
the COVID-19 pandemic. The grant built upon more than $4.3 million announced by the Governor earlier last
year for projects across the state that will help prevent
hunger and reduce the disposal of food waste though food donation and
recycling.
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