New York aims to curb food waste New law promotes composting inedible food

Albany and Saratoga are moving ahead on a $45 million shared organic waste facility that county officials say will reduce the need to dump or incinerate tons of rotted food and waste. (Lori Van Buren/Times Union) less Albany and Saratoga are moving ahead on a $45 million shared organic waste facility that county officials say will reduce the need to dump or incinerate tons of rotted food and waste. (Lori Van Buren/Times ... more Photo: Lori Van Buren Photo: Lori Van Buren Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close New York aims to curb food waste 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

ALBANY — New state requirements for handling excess food could reduce the state's carbon footprint and help address hunger in New York.

Starting in 2022, large food generators — including supermarkets, colleges, hotels and sporting venues — will be required to donate leftover edible food. The remaining scraps will need to be prepared as animal feed or compost if a recycling facility is within 25 miles.

"This is a win-win for the environment and people struggling with food insecurity," said New York League of Conservation Voters state policy director Patrick McClellan.

The success of the program, though, is based on the prevalence of organic recycling facilities that can accommodate the waste. Most food generators covered under the law are currently exempt from this provision because they're more than 25 miles from a recycler.

Proponents of the food waste requirements anticipate the language in the recently adopted state budget will inspire businesses to open organic recycling facilities in the next two-and-a-half years.

"We anticipate (the exempt area) to shrink significantly," McClellan said.

Food waste makes up about 18 percent of the municipal sold waste in New York and what ends up in landfills will eventually release methane, a greenhouse gas more harmful to the environment than carbon.

A 2017 report by the state determined that a comprehensive food recycling program could have the environmental impact of 37,093 cars coming off the road.

The University at Albany has been engaged in some form of food scrap recycling at its dining halls since 2012, and is currently reviewing the state's new law to determine how it will affect the campus.

Price Chopper Director of Community Relations Pam Cerrone said their business already has experience with a similar requirement in Vermont, where large and small food scrap generators are required to divert inedible leftovers to a facility within 20 miles.

Vermont is banning all food scraps from landfills starting in July 2020.

Price Chopper is studying the additional labor and expenses that will be required to comply with New York's law, Cerrone said.

Mike Durant, president of the Food Industry Alliance of New York, which represents the grocery industry, maintains that the new program is unnecessary considering the effort food generators already make to donate or recycle leftover food.

"The true impact of this will be determined by the regulatory process," Durant said, referring to the rules the state still needs to write to implement the requirements.

McClellan hopes the regulations are crafted to provide as few exemptions as possible, while still recognizing that the program needs to be sustainable for impacted generators.

The regulations wouldn't apply to New York City.

David.Lombardo@timesunion.com - 518.454.5427 - @poozer87