We know that diverting organic waste is vital to reducing methane emissions and improving our soils. Legislation is being put into action all over the world to direct food scraps and other organic waste away from landfills and towards composters.
Legislation elsewhere is requiring packaging sold to be recyclable or certified compostable leading the way toward a circular bioeconomy. Below is a list of legislations in the USA and Canada. Find out what legislation is applicable to where you live, or read on to encourage your representatives to take similar steps.
United States
Location
Description
Enforcement
Austin, Texas
Universal Recycling Ordiannce (Austin City Code Ch. 15-6)
Mandatory for residents and businesses
Boulder, Colorado
Universal Zero Waste Ordinance
Mandatory for residents and businesses
If compliance is not achieved within 14 days of Code Enforcement opening an investigation, a fine of $500 will be assessed, followed by second fine of $1000, then fines of $2000 for each occurrence if compliance is not reached upon subsequent 14-day inspections.
California
Mandatory for residents and businesses
Jurisdictions will still need to procure 30% of their targeted recovered organic waste products by January 1, 2023, 65% by January 1, 2024, and 100% by January 1, 2025.
In Progress/Mandatory for business
The bill would provide for its enforcement, including authorizing the department to impose an administrative civil penalty in an amount not to exceed $50,000 per day per violation, except as specified, on any entity that is not in compliance with the act’s requirements. The bill would require the department to deposit collected penalties into the Circular Economy Penalty Account, which the bill would create.
In Progress/Mandatory for business
Effective Jan 1, 2025
Connecticut
Mandatory for businesses
Maryland
Mandatory for residents and businesses effective now
Massachusetts
Voluntary for residents and businesses
New York, New York
Mandatory for businesses
In progress
Portland, Oregon
Voluntary / In progress for businesses
Vermont
Vermont Universal Recycling Law (Act 148)
Mandatory for residents and businesses
Seattle, Washington
All food and food-soiled paper products such as paper towels, paper napkins, and cardboard must be composted.
Multi-Family Residences: After two warnings, properties may receive a $50 fee on their waste bill for recyclables in the garbage.
Commercial: The ordinances specify that a fee may be applied to a solid waste account when more than 10% of the garbage container (by volume) contains prohibited materials, food waste, food-soiled paper, and/or recyclables.
Washington State
Voluntary for residents and businesses
Requirement for local government and some businesses
(b) The bag is tinted or made of a uniform color of green, beige, or brown and labeled with the word “compostable” on one side of the bag and be labeled with the word “compostable” on both sides of the bag and the label must be one of the following.
(c) Meet industry standards for being distinguishable upon quick 11inspection in both public sorting areas and in processing facilities.
Begins July 1st, 2024
Statewide Single-Use Plastic Bag Ban
Requirement for all businesses
Begins October 2021
Canada
Ontario
Voluntary (in progress) for residents and businesses
Nova Scotia
Materials Banned from Disposal Sites in Nova Scotia
Mandatory for residents and businesses
PEI
Waste Watch source-separation program
Mandatory for residents and businesses