AN ACT Relating to reducing wasted food in order to fight hunger and reduce environmental impacts; amending RCW 70.95.090; adding a new section to chapter 70.95 RCW; and creating a new section.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

(2) Food waste represents an oft-overlooked human tragedy in a world where millions of people go hungry on a daily basis. Worldwide, the United Nations food and agriculture organization has estimated that if one-fourth of the food lost or wasted globally could be saved, it would be enough to feed eight hundred seventy million hungry people. Recent data from the department of ecology indicate that Washington is not immune to food waste problems, and recent estimates indicate that seventeen percent of all garbage sent to Washington disposal facilities is food waste, and eight percent of all garbage is food that was determined to be edible at the time of disposal. In recognition of the widespread benefits that would accrue from reductions in food waste, in 2015, the administrator of the United States environmental protection agency and the secretary of the United States department of agriculture announced a national goal of reducing food waste by fifty percent by 2030.

(3) By establishing state food waste reduction goals and developing a state food waste reduction strategy, it is the intent of the legislature to continue its national leadership in solid waste reduction efforts by:

(a) Fighting hunger by more efficiently diverting surplus food to feed hungry individuals and families in need;

(b) Reducing the cradle-to-grave greenhouse gas emissions associated with wasted food; and

(c) Making more efficient use of the state's food waste management infrastructure by reducing the volumes of food waste that flow through those facilities.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 70.95 RCW to read as follows:

(1) A goal is established for the state to reduce by fifty percent the amount of wasted food generated annually by 2030, relative to 2017 levels.

(2) The department may estimate 2017 levels of wasted food in Washington using any combination of solid waste reporting data obtained under this chapter and surveys and studies measuring wasted food and food waste in other jurisdictions. For purposes of measuring progress towards the goal in subsection (1) of this section, the department must adopt standardized metrics and processes for measuring or estimating volumes of wasted food and food waste generated in the state.

(3) By October 1, 2020, the department, in consultation with the department of agriculture and the department of health, must develop and adopt a state food waste reduction plan designed to achieve the goals established in subsection (1) of this section.

(a) The food waste reduction plan must include strategies, in descending order of priority, to:

(i) Reduce the wasting of edible food by residents and businesses;

(ii) Help match edible food that would otherwise be wasted with food banks and other distributors that will ensure the food reaches those who need it; and

(iii) Support productive uses of inedible food materials, including using it for animal feed, energy production, or other commercial uses, and for industrial or on-site compost production.

(b) The food waste reduction plan must include suggested best practices that local governments may incorporate into solid waste management plans developed under RCW 70.95.080.

(c) The department must solicit feedback from the public and interested stakeholders throughout the process of developing and adopting the food waste reduction plan. The department may designate a stakeholder advisory panel to assist with its food waste reduction plan development responsibilities.

(d) In conjunction with the development of the food waste reduction plan, the department must consider recommending changes to state law in order to achieve the goals established in subsection (1) of this section. Any such recommendations must be explained via a report to the legislature submitted consistent with RCW 43.01.036 by December 1, 2020.

(4) The definitions in this subsection apply throughout this section unless the context clearly requires otherwise.

(a) "Food waste" means landfilled, incinerated, or otherwise discarded inedible organic material that spoiled or was produced as a by-product of organic material that was intended for human consumption.

(b) "Wasted food" means landfilled, incinerated, or otherwise discarded edible food that was intended for human consumption.

Sec. 3.  RCW 70.95.090 and 1991 c 298 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

Each county and city comprehensive solid waste management plan shall include the following:

(1) A detailed inventory and description of all existing solid waste handling facilities including an inventory of any deficiencies in meeting current solid waste handling needs.

(2) The estimated long-range needs for solid waste handling facilities projected twenty years into the future.

(3) A program for the orderly development of solid waste handling facilities in a manner consistent with the plans for the entire county which shall:

(a) Meet the minimum functional standards for solid waste handling adopted by the department and all laws and regulations relating to air and water pollution, fire prevention, flood control, and protection of public health;

(b) Take into account the comprehensive land use plan of each jurisdiction;

(c) Contain a six year construction and capital acquisition program for solid waste handling facilities; and

(d) Contain a plan for financing both capital costs and operational expenditures of the proposed solid waste management system.

(4) A program for surveillance and control.

(5) A current inventory and description of solid waste collection needs and operations within each respective jurisdiction which shall include:

(a) Any franchise for solid waste collection granted by the utilities and transportation commission in the respective jurisdictions including the name of the holder of the franchise and the address of his or her place of business and the area covered by the franchise;

(b) Any city solid waste operation within the county and the boundaries of such operation;

(c) The population density of each area serviced by a city operation or by a franchised operation within the respective jurisdictions;

(d) The projected solid waste collection needs for the respective jurisdictions for the next six years.

(6) A comprehensive waste reduction and recycling element that, in accordance with the priorities established in RCW 70.95.010, provides programs that (a) reduce the amount of waste generated, (b) provide incentives and mechanisms for source separation, and (c) establish recycling opportunities for the source separated waste.

(7) The waste reduction and recycling element shall include the following:

(a) Waste reduction strategies, which may include strategies to reduce wasted food and food waste that are designed to achieve the goals established in section 2(1) of this act and that are consistent with the plan developed in section 2(3) of this act;

(b) Source separation strategies, including:

(i) Programs for the collection of source separated materials from residences in urban and rural areas. In urban areas, these programs shall include collection of source separated recyclable materials from single and multiple-family residences, unless the department approves an alternative program, according to the criteria in the planning guidelines. Such criteria shall include: Anticipated recovery rates and levels of public participation, availability of environmentally sound disposal capacity, access to markets for recyclable materials, unreasonable cost impacts on the ratepayer over the six-year planning period, utilization of environmentally sound waste reduction and recycling technologies, and other factors as appropriate. In rural areas, these programs shall include but not be limited to drop-off boxes, buy-back centers, or a combination of both, at each solid waste transfer, processing, or disposal site, or at locations convenient to the residents of the county. The drop-off boxes and buy-back centers may be owned or operated by public, nonprofit, or private persons;

(ii) Programs to monitor the collection of source separated waste at nonresidential sites where there is sufficient density to sustain a program;

(iii) Programs to collect yard waste and food waste, if the county or city submitting the plan finds that there are adequate markets or capacity for composted yard waste and food waste within or near the service area to consume the majority of the material collected; and

(iv) Programs to educate and promote the concepts of waste reduction and recycling;

(c) Recycling strategies, including a description of markets for recyclables, a review of waste generation trends, a description of waste composition, a discussion and description of existing programs and any additional programs needed to assist public and private sector recycling, and an implementation schedule for the designation of specific materials to be collected for recycling, and for the provision of recycling collection services;

(d) Other information the county or city submitting the plan determines is necessary.

(8) An assessment of the plan's impact on the costs of solid waste collection. The assessment shall be prepared in conformance with guidelines established by the utilities and transportation commission. The commission shall cooperate with the Washington state association of counties and the association of Washington cities in establishing such guidelines.

(9) A review of potential areas that meet the criteria as outlined in RCW 70.95.165.

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