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 Reports reveal the impacts of food waste on landfill methane emissions and provide updated recommendations for managing food waste.
Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released two new reports quantifying methane emissions from landfilled food waste and updating recommendations for managing wasted food. Over one-third of the food produced in the United States is never eaten, wasting the resources used to produce, transport, process, and distribute it – and much of it is sent to landfills, where it breaks down and generates methane, a powerful greenhouse gas.
Based on these findings, the report presents a new Wasted Food Scale, an EPA tool to help decisionmakers understand the best options for managing food waste in terms of environmental impacts. The release of the new Wasted Food Scale marks the first update of EPA’s previous Food Recovery Hierarchy since the 1990s, reflecting the latest science, more recent technological advances, and changes in operational practices. The new Wasted Food Scale raises the ranking of composting, and the sewer/wastewater treatment pathway (aka sending food down the drain), which shares the lowest ranking with landfilling and incineration. EPA’s research confirms that preventing food from being wasted in the first place (i.e. source reduction), is still the most environmentally beneficial approach.
The second report, “Quantifying Methane Emissions from Landfilled Food Waste,” presents EPA’s first ever published modeled estimates of annual methane emissions released into the atmosphere from landfilled food waste. EPA conducted an analysis to estimate annual methane emissions from landfilled food waste from 1990 to 2020. The agency found 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 municipal solid waste landfills are from food waste. This data confirms that diverting food waste from landfills is an effective way to reduce emissions of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, from municipal solid waste landfills.
This collection of food waste research provides a better understanding of the net environmental footprint of U.S. food waste. The report findings highlight the need to prevent food waste and keep it out of landfills. Later this year, EPA will issue a draft national strategy for public comment that outlines the actions EPA will take to do exactly that
Read the two new reports here, and check out the new Wasted Food Scale here.
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Check Out New Natural Resources Defense Council Videos: Food is Made to Be Eaten
The Natural Resources Defense Council released a series of short videos: Food Is Made to Be Eaten. The Food Donation Improvement Act extended liability protections to more types of food donations beyond those already protected by the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Act. The new video series from NRDC, featuring Chef Tom Colicchio, encourages food donation by chefs, restaurants, caterers, and other food businesses. The videos highlight a few different potential donation opportunities and provide information about liability protections. Learn more and view the videos.
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Read the Priority Climate Action Plan Guide: Organic Waste & Landfill Methane Strategies
Industrious Labs and RMI published a guide to including organic waste and landfill methane strategies in Priority Climate Action Plans that are being developed under the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant program. The guide walks through the PCAP’s required elements with a focus on providing information and examples: 1) the importance of addressing methane emissions; 2) opportunities for GHG reductions in the waste sector; 3) community benefits of waste sector measures; and 4) specific measures to include with examples from leading states and local governments. Access the guide here.
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World Resources Institute Publishes Sustainable Development Goal Target 12.3: 2023 Progress Report
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Apply for EPA Environmental Education Grants
Application deadline: November 8, 2023
EPA announces that up to $3.6 million in funding for locally focused environmental education grants is now available under the 2023 Environmental Education Local Grant Program. EPA will award grants in each of EPA’s 10 Regions, between $50,000-$100,000 each, for a total of 30-40 grants nationwide. The program includes support for projects that reflect the intersection of environmental issues with climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies, preventing future water quality and human health issues, and other environmental topics.
Apply for the Environmental Education Grants here.
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Apply for the EPA Science to Achieve Results Program’s Funding Opportunity for Research Understanding PFAS
Application deadline: December 6, 2023
EPA Office of Research and Development is funding data collection on PFAS within agricultural environments to provide vital information related to exposure pathways. This will help inform the development of sustainable solutions. Research is essential to increase knowledge on how PFAS navigates through soil and into plants within agricultural and rural settings. The overall aim is to improve farm viability, as approaches are explored to understand PFAS accumulation in plants and animals.
Learn about this funding opportunity.
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Apply for the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture FY 2023 Community Food Projects Competitive Grants Program
Application deadline: October 30, 2023
The Community Food Projects competitive program supports projects that work to increase the self-reliance of communities in providing for their food needs. The idea is to promote comprehensive responses to local food access, farm, and nutrition issues. This includes strategies to reduce food waste and other agricultural needs that mutually benefit agricultural producers and consumers. Public food program service providers, tribal organizations, or private nonprofit entities, including gleaners (read Definitions in Part VIII, D of the RFA) are eligible to apply. Please refer to the Community Food Projects Request for Application for more information on eligibility.
Apply for the USDA Community Food Projects Grant Program.
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Apply for the USDA – Rural Energy for America Program Renewable Energy Systems & Energy Efficiency Improvement Guaranteed Loans & Grants
This program provides guaranteed loan financing and grant funding for improvements made to energy efficiency by agricultural producers and rural small businesses. Agricultural producers may also apply for new energy efficient equipment and new for agricultural production and processing. Funds may be used for the purchase and installation of renewable energy systems, including anaerobic digesters.
Open for Fiscal Years 2023 & 2024
Application Windows:
June 30, 2023
September 30, 2023
December 31, 2023
March 31, 2024
June 30, 2024
September 30, 2024
Visit the USDA Rural Energy for America Grants Page for details.
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Apply for the ReFED Catalytic Grant for Food Waste Reduction Projects in Restaurants
Deadline to submit a Letter of Intent: November 20, 2023
The ReFED Catalytic Grant Fund is now accepting applications for its second open call with a focus on food waste reduction in restaurants. This opportunity will support proven or pilot-ready food waste solutions that are simple, affordable, and convenient to implement and/or have a strong business case for small to medium-sized independent restaurants — including increased cost savings, improved staff retention, higher customer acquisition, and more. Register here for an informational webinar on November 1 at 1:00 p.m. ET. Visit ReFED’s website for more information, including how to apply.
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Apply for USDA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Grants – Foundational and Applied Science Program
Application deadlines: August through November 2023, depending on program area.
These grants cover a wide variety of topics and eligible entities. Total anticipated funding for FY2024 is $300 million. The 2023 Request for Application for AFRI’s Foundational and Applied Science Program identifies the following priority program areas, some of which include food waste reduction as a sub-topic and/or eligible initiative:
- Plant health and production and plant products;
- Animal health and production and animal products;
- Food safety, nutrition, and health;
- Bioenergy, natural resources, and environment;
- Agriculture systems and technology; and
- Agriculture economics and rural communities.
Information on the 2023 RFA for Foundational and Applied Science Program.
Visit the USDA-AFRI deadlines page or the RFA for specific deadlines for applications depending on program area.
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Apply for a New Grant Opportunity Focused on Lower Embodied Carbon Construction Materials
Application Deadline: January 8, 2024
On September 28, EPA launched a $100 million grant opportunity, the Reducing Embodied Greenhouse Gas Emissions for Construction Materials and Products program provides support to businesses that manufacture, remanufacture, and refurbish construction materials and products for developing and verifying Environmental Product Declarations. This program seeks to improve data transparency and disclosure of embodied greenhouse gas emissions (commonly referred to as embodied carbon) associated with construction materials and products. Through development of robust EPDs, EPA aims to facilitate the procurement and reliable emission tracking of lower embodied carbon construction materials and products throughout the U.S. States, tribes, and nonprofit organizations supporting such businesses are also eligible for funding. EPA anticipates awarding up to 40 grants or cooperative agreements in the range of $250,000 to $10,000,000.
If you are interested in learning more about this Notice of Funding Opportunity, register to attend one of the informational webinars on November 2 or November 14 at 2pm ET. Visit Grants.gov to apply. For specific questions on the grant program, please email embodiedcarbon@epa.gov.
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Mention of or referral to commercial products or services, and/or links to non-EPA sites does not imply official EPA endorsement of or responsibility for the opinions, ideas, data, or products presented at those locations, or guarantee the validity of the information provided. Mention of commercial products/services on non-EPA websites is provided solely as a pointer to information on topics related to environmental protection that may be useful to EPA staff and the public. |
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By subscribing to the newsletter, you will receive periodic announcements about resources, events, webinars, funding opportunities, and more from EPA and our partners. Topics include circular economy, reduce/reuse/recycle, food loss and waste, electronics, plastics, municipal solid waste, and the built environment.
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