On June 12, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the “National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste and Recycling Organics.” This initiative is part of President Biden’s comprehensive approach to address climate change, enhance food security, promote environmental justice, and support a circular economy.
The newly released strategy outlines goals for government partners, retailers, and consumers to reduce food loss and waste, increase organic material recycling, cut greenhouse gas emissions, save money for households and businesses, and build healthier communities. It aligns with the Biden-Harris Administration’s National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health introduced during the White House Conference on Hunger in September 2022.
“Each year, too much food produced in the United States ends up in landfills instead of on dining room tables. This hurts our economy by raising the cost of food and contributing to climate pollution,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan. “The National Strategy we are announcing today provides a comprehensive set of actions that the Biden-Harris Administration will take to reduce waste and protect our environment while improving food security and saving money for families and businesses.”
“USDA is committed to reducing food loss and waste, facilitating many programs and activities to assist farmers, producers, communities, and businesses,” stated U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “This National Strategy charts a course to reduce our nation's food loss and waste by 50% by 2030.”
“The FDA is committed to completing the actions outlined in the National Strategy that incentivize and encourage food loss and waste prevention and organics recycling,” added FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf.
Recent EPA research indicates that 58% of methane emissions from landfills originate from food waste. The strategy aims to divert organic waste from landfills to reduce greenhouse gas emissions significantly.
The strategy outlines four main objectives:
1. Prevent food loss.
2. Prevent food waste.
3. Increase recycling rates for all organic waste.
4. Support policies that incentivize organics recycling.
Specific actions include developing a national consumer education campaign, testing innovative approaches across supply chains, supporting organics recycling infrastructure through grants especially in underserved communities, expanding markets for recycled products.
In addition to this strategy release, nearly $200 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding has been allocated for projects related to solid waste infrastructure for recycling programs as well as education grants—marking the largest federal investment in recycling over three decades.
More information can be found on sustainable management of food initiatives by EPA as well as USDA's work on reducing food loss and FDA's resources on mitigating food wastage.
