US Food Waste Bans Ineffective, Except in Massachusetts

State-level bans on commercial organic waste disposal have largely failed to reduce landfilled waste across the U.S., with one state standing out as the lone success, according to a new study. Massachusetts alone achieved a significant reduction in landfilled waste when it implemented food waste bans. The findings underscore the importance of well-designed and enforced policies, with Massachusetts offering a potential model for effective waste management. "Our study shows that food waste bans are far from guaranteed to be successful," the authors note, "but there is potential for them to succeed when composting infrastructure is sufficient and bans are enforced." Food waste, responsible for nearly half of greenhouse gas emissions from the global food system, produces significant methane emissions in landfills. While food waste and loss cannot be eliminated, their emissions can be reduced. For example, composting can reduce methane emissions by 38 to 84% compared to landfilling. In the United States, 9 states have enacted food waste bans. Although policymakers have touted their potential to divert 10 to 15% of waste from landfills, the effectiveness of food waste bans remains largely unassessed. To measure the impact of these bans, Fiorentia Anglou and colleagues analyzed waste data from 36 U.S. states over 24 years, focusing on 27 states with complete data between 2006 and 2018. They compared the first 5 to implement state-wide food waste bans (California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Vermont) to states without bans. Contrary to the expectations, Anglou et al. found no significant reduction in waste disposal - except in Massachusetts. In California, Connecticut, Vermont, and Rhode Island, waste levels remained largely unchanged after the bans. Massachusetts, however, ultimately achieved a 13.2% reduction in waste. Additionally, the authors observed a 25.7% decrease in methane emissions per ton of waste disposal. The study attributes Massachusetts' success to affordable compliance through accessible composting facilities, simple and consistent regulations, and stricter enforcement. Other states struggled with these aspects, leading to less effective bans.