Costing Rhode Island taxpayers some $6.5 million annually, wasted food in landfills is also one of the leading producers of climate-changing methane emissions in the state.
The Wasted Food Solutions Action Network (WFSAN), a statewide group under the umbrella of the Rhode Island Food Policy Council with a goal to reduce wasted food in Rhode Island, recently published a plan for addressing the state’s 100,000-ton annual food waste problem. The plan was created by nearly 100 local leaders in the sector over the course of a year.
The 48-page plan outlines 10 high-priority actions for the state to take to fix the major challenges facing Rhode Island communities and businesses.
“Rhode Island has a committed group of individuals and businesses working across the spectrum of the EPA Wasted Food Scale,” Food Policy Council program director Isaac Bearg said. “It was a privilege to speak with so many of them and be able to show the state the challenges and solutions available to help us move forward.”
Development of the plan included working closely with the Department of Environmental Management.
“Disposing of organic waste in our landfill is wasting a valuable resource,” DEM director Terry Gray said. “Redirecting usable food to people who can use it and directing other organic matter to composting recovers these resources, supports environmental sustainability, and reduces our emissions of greenhouse gases.”
Michelle Carnevale, president of 11th Hour Racing, a WFSAN partner, said the plan “brings together smart ideas and community voices to build something better for our environment, economy, and neighbors.” She noted the effort is “about creating a future where no food is wasted and everyone benefits.”
The following are the plan’s 10 action priorities:
Funding and incentives. Pass a funding mechanism like a “Compost Fund.”
New models for waste. All municipal waste service contracts should align efforts to reduce waste on an individual and community basis with reduced costs.
Subsidies for food recovery organizations. Direct funding or social impact bonds for funding food rescue programs. Expand cold storage for community-based food organizations.
Funding for shellfish and seafood wastewater treatment. Complete the U.S. Economic Development Administration-funded wastewater treatment study; pursue sources of funding; expand and utilize existing capacity; expand the utilization of the Partnership for Research Excellence in Sustainable Seafood grant; conduct research on shell waste processing.
Increased municipal support for community composting. Municipalities should work to identify available compost sites, implement pilot plans, and apply for funding.
Increased access to land and regional approach to infrastructure. Create a statewide database of land utilization. Update municipal zoning codes and identify potential sites within communities. Provide assistance in evaluating and siting facilities. Clarify that the existing wasted food mandates can be triggered by out-of-state facilities.
Enforcement of existing wasted food legislation. Research the costs to implement existing laws. Clarify DEM’s role under existing laws and ensure funding and staffing is available for enforcement.
Ensure wasted food programs in every school. Continue to fund successful school programs. Rhode Island Department of Education and nonprofit partners should share the success stories. School administrators and food service providers should seek to learn from peers. Ensure food service providers receiving preferred status are in compliance with food waste laws.
Education on offer vs. serve and share tables. Require mandatory training on the distinction between “offer versus serve” for school food service providers. Offer healthy foods in the most appealing forms, and implement share tables in every school.
Education for individuals, leaders, and businesses. Promote wasted food reduction education. Update efforts to educate consumers and businesses about food donation. Provide municipal educational courses, and support technical assistance and education.
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