Waste Management Planning Q&A and Resources

Waste Management Planning Q&A and Resources Responses by Jade Monroe & Mary Harrington, WA State Dept. of Ecology

Q: Is there a plan for getting food composting into schools in areas that don’t have curbside pick-up of food waste?
A: Extended second substitute HB 1799 just passed and it has a lot of collection requirements. There is an infrastructure recommendation specifically for schools and institutions. Plan to get milk dispensers in schools to reduce milk and carton waste. Other opportunities include practicing food waste prevention (food surplus collection), partnering with local farmers to take compost, vermicomposting, etc. It’s a
good teaching opportunity. A double benefit of having a food waste reduction program onsite in schools is students take the information home.
Q: How was the 2015 baseline number reached?
A: The data is limited. Existing state-level data for the 2015 baseline mostly includes waste characterization studies and collected data from anerobic digesters, composters, and some food rescue. Check the data section of the Use Food Well Washington Plan. Will be gathering more data, especially for collection and rescue purposes.
Q: Are there technologies that are being used, or planned to be used, that assist with the tracking of food and the environment where the food is stored and transported through the supply chain?
A: The tricky part is standardizing measurement. Rethink Food Waste Through Economics and Data (ReFed), shows a lot of organizations are tracking food waste differently. For example, if you are just tracking pounds of food collected, are you really tracking food rescued? If it is contaminated and can’t be used and sent to people for food security and goes to landfill, you come up short. We acknowledge we have technology out there but don’t use it consistently. ReFed is helping with standardizing effective measurement to make sure we are tracking the way food moves around the state and food waste.
Q: Do you have guidance for local organizations looking to support and help implement these statelevel recommendations?
A: Local organizations have a huge role to play in targeting and measuring food waste. Recommendation 5 is going to be implemented – creating the Center for Sustainable Food Management. We have been tasked with developing some guidance.
Q: What is the time frame?
A: We have to reach these goals by 2030, but HB 1799 set a goal of 20% of edible food diversion by 2025, and 75% of all organics reduction by 2030. HB 1799 also established that the Center for Sustainable Food Management will be operational by Jan. 1, 2024 so that will help with the timeline on delivery.
Q: To what level does the program focus on and track carbon footprint and reduction for our food and food waste?
A: There is a huge intersection between our climate goals and the resilient future we need and food waste reduction. The social cost of carbon is accounted for within the Use Food Well WA Plan. We show there is not only an economic benefit to food waste reduction but also a resilience factor in that the more we act now, the less we pay in the future. There is a food waste carbon credit opportunity in development. That could help us quantify food waste reduction in terms of carbon footprint.
Q: When will carbon guidelines turn to compliance?
A: We do not have carbon guidelines for food waste reduction at this time. From our subject matter expert research, it appears regulations don’t serve us as much as private-public partnerships because they are more nimble. Food waste reduction is a complex issue that requires us all to work together to drive measurable food waste reduction.
Q: What are the biggest sources of food waste?
A: Food waste is generated across the food system. We all need to use food well in order to meet the 2030 goals. There is so much opportunity to target, measure, and act when we look from producers to plate. There is not one singular answer when it comes to food waste generation from residential to commercial. Washington State does a waste characterization study every five years. The one just published that
was done during COVID, flipped waste generation. Instead of the predominate generator being commercial, it switched to residential. That indicates who we need to talk to in this new normal. Want to give people education about how to not create waste in the first place.
Q: How was this funded and when did you start working on it?
A: The RCW came from a bill originally proposed in 2018 – The Food Waste Reduction Act. It didn’t pass until the 2019 legislative session. They didn’t extend the delivery date and then COVID hit. We couldn’t deliver by the 2020 deadline. It took until 2021, but the result is a much better document with actionable recommendations thanks to the partnership with four other state agencies and the support of the subject matter experts who helped draft the plan.
Q: How you might move forward with prioritizing infrastructure development programs?
A: That is the call to action for this year. We’re mapping how other agencies are prioritizing recommendation implementation. We need to go to decision makers and help them understand what we need to succeed. We see the Food Policy Forum as a critical link in moving information forward with decision makers and we need everyone to help pass the information along.
Q: How do you talk to Buffet restaurants?
A: A lot of them closed during COVID. Had good participation from food business and hospitality in our working groups. Curious to see how lessons learned during COVID affect business models (e.g., some buffets have moved to a table service model). Will be working with Health Dept. to help give guidance to food establishments.