DEC encourages businesses, no matter the size, to evaluate the amount of wasted food and food scraps they generate and to rethink how they may reduce, donate and/or recycle this food.
Food Donation and Food Scraps Recycling Legislation
In 2019, NYS passed Food Donation and Food Scraps Recycling legislation. Effective January 1, 2022, large generators of food scraps (defined as generating an annual average of two tons per week or more) must donate excess edible food and recycle al remaining food scraps if they are within 25 miles of an organics recycler (composting facility, anaerobic digester, etc.).
Rethink Food Waste NY - Free Technical Assistance Available!
Rethink Food Waste NY provides free food waste solutions for New York businesses, municipalities, organic recyclers (composting, anaerobic digestion, etc.), food relief organizations, and others! Assistance is available at no cost!
Learn more about Rethink Food Waste NY and how to get started today.
NYS Pollution Prevention Institute (P2I)
NYS P2I connects businesses, municipalities, and communities across New York State with the funding, expertise, and practical tools they need to manage wasted food and food scraps.
Food System Sustainability Clearinghouse
The NYS Food System Sustainability Clearinghouse is an online clearinghouse of information for businesses looking to manage their organics in a sustainable manner via reduction, donation and/or organics recycling (composting, etc.) practices.
Key resources for businesses include
- Organics Resource Locator
- Food Waste Estimator Calculator
- Contamination in Food Scraps Bins Troubleshoot Guide
Donation
While 1 in 9 New Yorkers are food insecure, perfectly good food is thrown away each and every day. Businesses can donate excess edible food to help those in need and potentially receive an enhanced tax deduction.
The Federal Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act provides protection form criminal and civil liability for companies and organizations when donating healthy food that would otherwise go to waste.
Connect with one of the regional Food Banks across the state, a food pantry, soup kitchen or other meal center and start a conversation on how you can work together to get excess food to those who need it most.
Donation Resources
- Tax Incentives for Food Donation in New York State - Legal Fact Sheet (PDF, 443 KB)
- Liability Protections for Food Donors in New York State - Legal Fact Sheet (PDF, 276 KB)
- ServSafe Training
Partnering with Farms
- Businesses may partner with farms to feed food scraps to animals such as bread, spent brewers grain, vegetable peels and trimmings.
- Food processors can partner with farms to land apply food processing waste such as dairy whey, grape pomace, brewery waste, etc. to their fields.
Ask your hauler if they have relationships with famers in your area.
