After her son’s wedding dinner, Rhode Island state Rep. Lauren Carson asked caterers where all the leftover food waste would go.
When she learned it would be thrown away, she introduced a bill to address the state’s food waste problem.
What’s happening?
As ecoRI News reported, Carson’s proposed bill, H7735, would apply to catered events of 50 or more people. If passed, the bill would require caterers to submit plans for how they will dispose of food waste before receiving permits under the Organics Diversion at Catered Events Act.
Businesses currently aren’t required to compost their food waste, and hauling it to a landfill is cheaper. But if the law takes effect at the start of 2027, caterers would face a fine of $500 for not having a food waste plan in place.
Why is leftover food important?
The entire state has only one landfill, where an estimated 80,000 tons of food ends up annually. Experts say the landfill will reach capacity within the next two decades…