Biden administration releases food waste reduction strategy

The Biden-Harris administration has announced strategic steps to reduce food waste and increase the recycling of organics to reduce climate pollution. 

The draft strategy comes from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). 

EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan announced the Draft National Strategy to Reduce Food Loss and Waste at the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, as one of the U.S.’ key deliverables. The strategy outlines EPA, USDA and FDA actions to prevent the loss and waste of food and other organic wastes, reducing associated environmental impacts such as methane pollution. 

It also aims to prevent and divert organic waste from landfills to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and highlights opportunities to build community-scale organics recycling infrastructure, reduce pollution and create jobs.  

According to the EPA, 24 percent of municipal solid waste (MSW) in landfills is food waste, and that waste creates 58 percent of methane emissions released to the atmosphere from MSW landfills. In a letter to the EPA in October, 56 local officials from 18 states called for organic waste to be phased out of landfills by 2040. 

“Reducing food loss and waste is one of the most impactful actions we can take to reduce climate pollution and build a circular economy,” Regan says. “Working together with our partners at USDA and FDA, we will take actions to significantly reduce waste and the pollution that comes with it while improving our food system and boosting the economy.” 

Recent EPA research shows that while total emissions from MSW landfills are decreasing, methane emissions from landfilled food waste are increasing, and 58 percent of methane emissions released to the atmosphere from landfills are from food waste. The draft strategy supports the Biden administration’s goal to reduce the loss and waste of food by 50 percent by 2030.