The Wisconsin DNR has been working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to determine where most food waste ends up.
The DNR released a Wisconsin Food Waste Evaluation report that provides details about food waste generation and management and includes recommendations for individuals, businesses, and government agencies to reduce food waste going to landfills.
It’s part of a statewide goal to reduce per-capita food waste disposal in landfills by 50% by 2030 compared to 2020 levels.
Most of the food waste in Wisconsin landfills is from residential and food service sources, with residents contributing up to 47%. Infrastructure for hauling food waste to destinations other than landfills, such as composting sites, will need to expand significantly to achieve the statewide food waste reduction goal.
Funding for the study came through a U.S. EPA grant to develop a statewide food waste reduction plan and provide technical assistance to businesses.
The start of the grant funding work came after a characterization study found that wasted food and food scraps accounted for 20% OF the trash sent to Wisconsin landfills.
That’s an estimated 854,000 tons annually, or about 294 pounds a person.
The Wisconsin DNR will host a Microsoft Teams webinar on February 3rd to provide an overview of the study.
