WE NEED YOUR INPUT ON HOW TO REDUCE FOOD WASTE AND CONTROL EMISSIONS RESULTING FROM FOOD DISPOSAL

Food waste is estimated to account for about one third of the food intended for human consumption in the United States. When food is discarded, all resources used in producing, processing, transporting, preparing, and storing are also wasted. Landfilling food waste exacerbates the climate change crisis due to significant methane, other GHGs, and air toxics emissions. Food waste contributes more methane emissions than other landfilled material because of its rapid degradation.  From 1990-2020 methane emissions from landfilled food waste increased steadily by 295 percent.  In 2020, landfilled food waste was responsible for emitting approximately 55mmt CO₂e methane emissions based on a 100-year global warming potential. This is equivalent to the annual GHG emissions from 15 coal-fired power plants.  An estimated 61 percent of methane generated by landfilled food becomes fugitive emissions.  More needs to be done to eliminate food waste and significantly reduce or recapture gases emanating from landfills.

THE NEW JERSEY CLEAN AIR COUNCIL IS SEEKING SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE FOLLOWING ISSUES:

• Policies,
• Best practices,
• Control technologies,
• Funding opportunities, etc. in each of the categories shown in the USEPA 2023 Wasted Food Scale.

Questions?

Contact George Berdomas at 609-940-5654 or via e-mail at George.Berdomas@njdepwptest.net.