BOSTON — A coalition of environmental groups are urging the Healey administration to set stringent new requirements aimed at reducing food waste as part of broader efforts to meet the state’s climate change goals.
In a letter to Gov. Maura Healey and state environmental regulators, the groups call for reforms to expand waste reduction policies, including the state’s Organics Waste Ban, and establish new requirements for organic waste diversion and recycling – including “banning all organic waste from disposal.”
“Massachusetts is well-positioned to lead the nation in innovative organic waste management solutions,” they wrote. “By leveraging our state’s expertise in technology, research, and sustainable practices, we can establish robust solutions to successfully divert organic waste from landfills and ensure its beneficial use.”
Advocates say Massachusetts generates an estimated 2 million tons of food waste a year, much of which ends up either buried in one of the state’s landfills or burned in one of five waste incinerators.
Most of the incinerators are in low-income communities, advocates say, spewing toxic pollutants like particulate matter and heavy metals into the air.
Janet Domenitz, executive director of the Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group and coalition member, said the burning and burying of food waste “is a climate and public health disaster, releasing large amounts of planet-warming pollution into our atmosphere and threatening the health of nearby communities.
“Despite significant climate momentum in the Bay State, this is one issue that needs more attention from policymakers.”
Cindy Luppi, national field director at Clean Water Action, which is also a member of the coalition, said restricting food waste in Massachusetts would “demonstrate continued climate leadership to the rest of the country.
“We can do more than just reduce pollution. With the necessary policies and investments, we can also address food insecurity and create family-supporting jobs.”
To be sure, Massachusetts has enacted some of the toughest environmental regulations in the country with a goal toward reaching “net-zero” greenhouse gas emissions related to 1990 levels by 2050.
The state’s solid waste “master plan” calls for reducing the amount of garbage Massachusetts’ sends to landfills and incinerators by 30% by 2030, and by 90% by 2050.
The plan also banned the disposal of mattresses and textiles, which environmental regulators say will mean far less potentially toxic materials being tossed out.
It also reduced the amount of organic yard and food waste businesses are allowed to dispose of to a half ton per week. The current state limit is one ton a week.
But the coalition said state regulators need to “double” the rate of organic waste diversion to meet the state’s 2030 solid waste master plan goals. They say the plans should also involve diverting more unused food to local pantries.
“As you well know, the state’s landfills are projected to be full by 2030,” they wrote. “Every year, Bay Staters throw away 6 million tons of garbage. Nearly a third of that garbage is food, while a recent U.S. Census survey found that 21.9% of Massachusetts households with children do not have access to sufficient or quality food, despite the abundance produced.”
Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com.
