Bill Text: NJ S2426 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Amended

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Bill Title: Requires solid waste management districts to develop strategy to reduce food waste; requires DEP to adopt certain rules and regulations regarding composting facilities.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-06-20 - Referred to Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee [S2426 Detail]

Download: New_Jersey-2024-S2426-Amended.html

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[First Reprint]

SENATE, No. 2426

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

221st LEGISLATURE

 

INTRODUCED JANUARY 29, 2024

 

 

Sponsored by:

Senator  BOB SMITH

District 17 (Middlesex and Somerset)

Senator  JOHN F. MCKEON

District 27 (Essex and Passaic)

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

      Requires solid waste management districts to develop strategy to reduce food waste; requires DEP to adopt certain rules and regulations regarding composting facilities.

 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

     As reported by the Senate Environment and Energy Committee on June 20, 2024, with amendments.

  

An Act concerning the reduction of food waste and supplementing P.L.1970, c.39 (C.13:1E-1 et seq.).

 

     Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

      1.   a.  No later than two years after the effective date of this section, each solid waste management district in the State shall develop and implement a strategy for reducing, by the year ¹[2030] 2035¹ , the amount of food waste generated annually in the district by at least 50 percent of the amount which ¹[is] was¹ generated in the year ¹[this section takes effect] 2022¹ .  The strategy shall be adopted as an amendment to the district solid waste management plan required pursuant to the "Solid Waste Management Act," P.L.1970, c.39 (C.13:1E-1 et seq.) ¹, or pursuant to an administrative action by the solid waste management district authorized pursuant to rules and regulations adopted for that purpose,¹ and ¹shall be¹ subject to the approval of the department.

      b.   No later than 180 days after the effective date of this section, the department shall develop, and publish on its Internet website, a list of measures solid waste management districts can take in order to achieve the food waste reduction requirement established in subsection a. of this section.  Such measures shall include, but need not be limited to, measures to increase the donation of surplus edible food, the source separation and recycling of food waste, the composting and anaerobic digestion of food waste and other food waste diversion methods that also reduce methane emissions, and public awareness campaigns.

      c.   ¹No later than 180 days after the effective date of this section, the department shall propose rules and regulations, in accordance with the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), to create a tiered regulatory structure for composting facilities, based on the United States Composting Council's Model Compost Rule, in order to facilitate the use of organic waste recycling facilities in the State.  The rules and regulations shall include, but not be limited to, provisions that:

      (1) exempt small scale composting facilities, including composting of vegetative waste within community gardens and on school properties, from solid waste permitting requirements;

      (2) streamline compost facility planning requirements imposed pursuant to rules and regulations that apply to district solid waste management plans; and

      (3) authorize the use of registrations, general permits, and permits-by-rule where appropriate.

      d.¹  As used in this section, "food waste" means food processing waste, food processing residue generated from processing and packaging operations, overripe or spoiled produce, trimmings from food, food product over-runs, soiled and unrecyclable paper, and used cooking fats, oil, and grease.

 

     2.    This act shall take effect immediately.