Growth in New or Expanded Food Waste Recycling Programs Continued in 2023

Now in its third year, SPC’s analysis of food waste recycling programs and processing facilities shows strong 2023 growth similar to past years

According to research from PMMI Business Intelligence, compostable packaging materials are predicted to increase by 15-16% over the next decade. Historically, acceptance of these materials has been stymied by a lack of widespread infrastructure in the U.S. to process both food waste and other compostable waste such as certified compostable packaging.

Yet as more municipalities understand the urgency and climate-related benefits of diverting food waste from landfills, a new narrative is starting to emerge. The Sustainable Packaging Coalition has tracked the growth of expansion of food waste recycling programs for the past three years. This year, access to composting programs and facilities continued to grow, and the trend shows no signs of slowing down.

In 2023, at least 35 towns, cities, and counties across 20 states increased residential access to composting programs for food scraps, and in some cases, compostable packaging. Across the country, at least 9 facilities grew their operations, retrofitted their processes to accept food waste or break material down more quickly, and experimented with new technologies.

This is comparable to data from 2022 indicating that at least 38 towns, cities, and counties across 18 states increased residential access to composting programs for food scraps, and at least 13 facilities grew or expanded their composting operations. In 2021, data showed a similar story – at least 37 towns, cities, and counties across 19 states increased residential access to composting programs for food scraps, and in some cases, compostable packaging.

Read more about the new and/or expanded programs and facilities below.

MUNICIPALITIES

FACILITIES

BACKGROUND ANALYSIS

New

Chicago / more
Los Angeles launches citywide organics service
Alexandria, VA
Oʻahu’, HI / Manufactured compostable waste to be accepted in Oahu’s
Durango, CO
Bourne, MA
Riverhead, NY – Long Island’s food scrap dilemma
Newtown, CT
Bow, NH
Fairfax County, VA
Charleston, SC
Athens, GA
City of Knoxville (TN): A comprehensive, multi-scale community composting program for residents, businesses, and nonprofits in Knoxville that will provide outlets, supplies, education, and ongoing support for three different scales of composting.
Miami-Dade (FL) County: Two-year pilot project that aims to accelerate and scale the services of three small locally owned composting companies by expanding existing service capacity by 50% over one year, obtaining a renewable 18-month pilot project permit, developing a commercially viable compost product for use by Miami-Dade County
East Hampton, NY
Decatur, GA
Columbus, OH
Springfield, MO
Nashville, TN piloting curbside compost program to reduce landfill waste
West Haven, CT
Princeton, NJ
Washington County, OR
Ann Arbor, MI
Middletown, CT
Troy, NY
Toledo, OH / Toledo, OH

Expansion

Boston, MA / more Boston
Frederick, MD
Aspen, CO
New York City
DC To Pilot Curbside Composting Pickup This Summer | DCist
Baltimore, MD
San Diego, CA – San Diegans are recycling more than twice as much organic waste” Initial statistics comparing July 2022 to July 2023, the first month where nearly the whole city had green bins, show the amount of green recycling collected by the city increased from 3,100 tons to 6,900 tons.
Bozeman, MT

NEW / EXPANDED INFRASTRUCTURE

SORTATION

Hyperspectral Imaging Identifies Compostable Plastics for Sorting “Advanced technology, including AI, is playing a growing role in helping make composting more efficient and more easily able to handle compostable plastics; developing new compostable materials; and even helping to change consumer behavior.”
We Desperately Need to Compost More to Save the World; How AI & Data Can Help Sorting is often a manual and expensive process. But AI is changing that; equipped with machine vision, robotic sorters can quickly remove contaminants from trucks of compostable waste.

KEY LEGISLATION

PREVIOUS YEARS

2022: At least 38 towns, cities, and counties across 18 states increased residential access to composting programs for food scraps, and in some cases, compostable packaging. Across the country, at least 13 facilities grew their operations, retrofitted their processes to accept food waste or break material down more quickly, and experimented with new technologies.

2021: At least 37 towns, cities, and counties across 19 states increased residential access to composting programs for food scraps, and in some cases, compostable packaging.

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