Zero Food Waste Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 6684
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Environmental Protection
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-12-12: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- Last Updated
- 2026-04-13T12:04:27Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The Zero Food Waste Act aims to reduce food waste in the United States by 50 percent by 2035, compared to 2015 levels, through a federal grant program administered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It focuses on prevention, data collection, and innovative projects to minimize food waste sent to landfills or incinerators.
Key Provisions
- Grant Program Establishment: The EPA Administrator must create a competitive grant program to fund activities that address food waste. Grants are awarded to eligible entities, which include state, local, territorial, or Tribal governments; nonprofit organizations (as defined under U.S. tax law as 501(c)(3) entities); or partnerships among these.
- Types of Grants:
- Studies and Planning: Funds for analyzing food waste generation in a specific area and developing plans for reduction activities, with a priority on preventing waste from occurring in the first place.
- Data Collection and Reporting: Supports gathering data on food waste amounts and publishing regular (monthly or quarterly) public reports, potentially on websites of government or nongovernmental organizations.
- Reduction Projects: Finances direct actions such as:
- Implementing food waste reduction methods (e.g., prevention, rescuing surplus food for consumption, upcycling ingredients into new food, or recycling into non-food products).
- Adopting differential pricing for waste disposal to discourage landfilling or incineration and encourage alternatives.
- Providing technical assistance, imposing disposal restrictions, requiring reduction activities, or stimulating markets for recycled materials.
- Other EPA-approved initiatives, including data reporting as above.
- Nonprofits must include letters of support from governments or other nonprofits with regional experience.
- Application and Prioritization Process:
- Applications require details on grant use; nonprofits need additional support letters.
- Prioritizes diverse geographic areas and uses; favors entities already running programs, those needing infrastructure investment, or projects in communities of color, low-income areas, or Tribal lands disproportionately affected by environmental harms.
- For anaerobic digestion projects (a process breaking down organic waste to produce energy or soil amendments), applicants must submit plans ensuring safe recycling of outputs, limit animal waste to 20% of feedstock, and use only source-separated organics (waste sorted at the source, excluding mixed trash) for the rest.
- Reporting Requirements:
- Grantees submit reports on outcomes and data to track program effectiveness.
- EPA provides annual public reports to Congress on progress toward the 50% reduction goal and efforts to share best practices among participants.
- Funding: Authorizes $650 million annually from fiscal years 2026 through 2035, available until spent.
- Definitions (key terms simplified):
- Food waste: Uneaten food and its inedible parts.
- Food waste reduction activity: Methods to cut waste sent to landfills or incinerators, including prevention (stopping waste at the source), rescue (redirecting edible surplus), upcycling (turning waste into new food), and recycling (reusing for non-food items).
- Source separated organics: Organic waste kept separate from other trash by the generator, meeting specific industry standards for compostability.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
This bill introduces a new standalone grant program under the EPA, without explicitly amending prior laws. It builds on existing environmental frameworks (e.g., waste management under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act) by adding targeted funding and goals for food waste, which was not previously addressed through such a dedicated federal mechanism. No direct repeals or modifications to current statutes are specified.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: The EPA gains new administrative responsibilities for grant oversight, data tracking, and annual reporting, potentially increasing workload and requiring guideline development (e.g., for anaerobic digestion). State, local, territorial, and Tribal governments may receive funding to enhance waste infrastructure, leading to coordinated national efforts but also compliance burdens.
- Citizens: Could reduce environmental pollution from landfills (e.g., methane emissions contributing to climate change), lower waste disposal costs for communities, and improve food access via rescue programs. Benefits may be greatest in underserved areas, promoting equity in environmental health, though implementation depends on local adoption.
- International Relations: Indirectly supports U.S. commitments to global sustainability goals (e.g., UN Sustainable Development Goals on food loss and waste), potentially enhancing the country's leadership in climate action without direct foreign policy effects.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Primary: State, local, territorial, and Tribal governments (as direct applicants and implementers); nonprofit organizations (for community-based projects with support requirements).
- Secondary: Residents in targeted communities (e.g., low-income, communities of color, Tribal areas) who may see improved waste management and health outcomes; food industry actors (e.g., producers, retailers) influenced by reduction policies; EPA and Congress for oversight and funding.
- Broader: Environmental groups, waste management companies, and researchers benefiting from data sharing and collaborative learning.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Establishes enforceable reporting and eligibility criteria, with EPA discretion in grant awards and guidelines, which could lead to administrative challenges or lawsuits over prioritization (e.g., equity-focused selections). Aligns with federal environmental authority under the Clean Air Act and related laws but introduces novel fiscal commitments.
- Constitutional: No apparent conflicts; grant programs are standard federal exercises of spending power (Article I, Section 8). Equity provisions for disadvantaged communities echo equal protection principles without mandating race-based actions.
- Political: Signals bipartisan environmental priorities (introduced by Democrats but with broad applicability), potentially fostering state-federal partnerships. The long-term funding authorization (10 years) could influence budget debates, emphasizing climate and waste as policy focuses amid rising sustainability concerns.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. Brownley, Julia [D-CA-26]
Cosponsors (4)
Rep. Pingree, Chellie [D-ME-1], Rep. Casten, Sean [D-IL-6], Rep. Tokuda, Jill N. [D-HI-2], Rep. Matsui, Doris O. [D-CA-7]
Recent Actions
- 2025-12-12: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
- 2025-12-12: Introduced in House
- 2025-12-12: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Zero Food Waste Act — issued 2025-12-12 — PDF (10 pages)