Maine was the last New England state to pass legislation creating what鈥檚 known as a food waste ban, which diverts food waste from traditional waste streams by prioritizing the donation or recycling of organic material, rather than sending it to landfills or incinerators. It took multiple legislative attempts, but Gov. Janet Mills allowed Maine鈥檚 ban to become law earlier this year without her signature.
Proponents like Peter Blair, policy and advocacy director for the national environmental advocacy organization Just Zero, believe the ban will help the state better address its challenges managing waste, including the fact that a state-owned landfill that currently collects just over half of landfill waste in Maine is expected to reach capacity in 2028. But there is work to be done in the next few years to make sure the state is fully prepared when the new law takes effect.
Susanne Lee, a faculty fellow at the center the completed the study, said her team at Food Rescue MAINE is already doing some of that work and doesn鈥檛 think of this new law in terms of a 鈥渂an.鈥� Rather, she said it reinforces the idea that food is a resource and gives credence to the work that is underway to remove it from the waste stream.
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Author: Annmarie Hilton, Maine Morning Star
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