Vermont state law bans food scraps from the trash. This does not mean that all Vermonters have to compost food scraps themselves, but they need to either bring the food scraps to a transfer station or drop-off or have a hauler bring them to a composter or an anaerobic digester. Find out how to manage food scraps.
Food waste is a financial, environmental, and social problem.
The average family of four wastes $1,500 a year on food they buy but don’t eat.
We have a hunger problem in Vermont. Some wasted food, especially from retailers, can be recovered and given to people in need.
Our food system uses enormous amounts of natural resources. When we waste food, we also waste all the resources that went into growing, transporting, storing, and distributing the food.
Food is the largest component of trash in landfills, taking up valuable space.
When food scraps end up in a landfill, they don’t decompose as nature intended. Instead, they give off methane, a very potent greenhouse gas which is even stronger than carbon dioxide and contributes to global warming.
In 2012, the Vermont legislature unanimously passed the Universal Recycling law with a landfill ban on food scraps phased in over 7 years. As of July 2020, state law bans food scraps from the trash. This campaign is part of the State’s continued efforts to prevent food waste and increase composting.
Vermont is not alone in recognizing this problem. In 2015, the US Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency announced a national goal to reduce food waste 50% by 2030.
There are lots of easy ways to reduce your food waste by making small changes to your everyday habits. Check out our Tips.
Once you have reduced your food waste, there are options for managing food scraps. Compost with confidence:
