Food Scraps Recycling: Turning Food into a Resource

Food scraps are a significant environmental and economic issue in the United States, with millions of tons discarded annually. Food scraps fall into two categories:

• Pre-consumer waste: Food discarded before reaching the consumer, such as grocery store surplus, food processing scraps, and farm-level losses.
• Post-consumer waste: Food discarded after being served, including leftovers from restaurants, cafeterias, and households.

Both types contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, making effective management crucial.

Donate, Recycle, or Compost

Some may consider sending food scraps down garbage disposals or drains. However, this approach does not solve the problem. It increases the strain on water resource recovery facilities, leading to higher energy consumption and potential blockages.

Rather than sending food scraps down the drain or throwing it in the trash, there are sustainable alternatives:

• Donation: The EPA’s Wasted Food Scale (seen below) prioritizes donation as the best use for edible surplus food. Restaurants, grocery stores, and institutions can partner with food banks and shelters to ensure that food reaches those in need.
• Recycling and Composting: Organic waste unsuitable for human consumption can be processed into compost, biochar, or animal feed. Composting enriches soil, reducing the need for chemical fertilizers, while biochar provides carbon sequestration benefits.
• Anaerobic Digestion: This process breaks down organic waste into biogas and nutrient-rich digestate, offering renewable energy solutions.

Legislative Changes Driving Action

New York State is taking significant steps to further address wasted food. A recent expansion to the NYS Food Donation and Food Scraps Recovery Law, signed by the governor in late 2024, mandates that businesses generating at least one ton of food scraps per week must take action by January 1, 2026. This means that companies, including restaurants, grocery stores, and institutions, will need to find ways to divert their food scraps from disposal through donation, recycling, or composting.

While this legislation promotes sustainability, it also presents challenges, particularly in infrastructure development. Without sufficient facilities to process organic waste, businesses may struggle to comply.

Infrastructure Challenges and Opportunities

A major hurdle in effective food scrap recycling is infrastructure. Many communities lack composting and anaerobic digestion facilities, making diversion difficult. Several communities have been successful at developing drop-off food scraps collection programs or even implementing curbside collection; however, if they do not have a local outlet to receive and process the material, then they may be driving the food scraps hundreds of miles away for processing, which is not a sustainable solution.

Several communities are looking to construct their processing facilities, but that requires design, permitting, and construction of such facilities. This takes time and money. Several grant opportunities are currently available in New York State. One grant that was recently announced is the Business Food Waste Mitigation Grant Program through New York Empire State Development, which is designed to reduce business-generated food waste sent for disposal through the creation of new, or expansion of existing, organics recycling facilities. The grant must be submitted through the NYS Consolidated Funding Application (CFA) by Friday, May 23, 2025.

How Barton & Loguidice Can Help

B&L is positioned to assist municipalities and businesses in adapting to these new requirements. Our services include:

• Feasibility Studies: Assessing local waste generation, capacity, and viable recycling options.
• Permitting & Design: Navigating regulatory requirements and designing infrastructure for composting and anaerobic digestion.
• Facility Development: Planning and constructing waste processing facilities to handle increased organic material.
• Public Education & Outreach: Helping businesses and residents understand food scraps diversion strategies.

Wasted food is a pressing issue that requires a multi-faceted approach. With the expansion of the NYS Food Donation and Food Scraps Recovery Law taking effect in 2026, businesses and municipalities must find sustainable solutions. By investing in infrastructure, education, and partnerships, we can turn food waste from an environmental burden into a valuable resource. Barton & Loguidice is ready to support clients in navigating these changes and developing efficient, long-term solutions for food waste recycling and organics management.

For more on how B&L can help, reach out to Luann Meyer.