Zero Food Waste Act
- Bill Number
- S. 3443
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Environmental Protection
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-12-11: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
- Last Updated
- 2026-04-10T16:18:40Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The legislation establishes the "Zero Food Waste Act" to direct the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to create a grant program aimed at reducing the amount of food waste sent to landfills or incinerators. The program targets a 50 percent reduction in food waste by 2035 compared to 2015 levels, focusing on activities like prevention, rescue, upcycling, and recycling of food waste.
Key Provisions
- Definitions: The bill defines key terms, including:
- Food waste: Uneaten food and inedible parts.
- Eligible entity: States, local/territorial/Tribal governments, nonprofit organizations (under IRS section 501(c)(3)), or partnerships of these.
- Food waste reduction activity: Methods to lower waste disposal, such as prevention (stopping waste generation), rescue (redirecting surplus food for eating), upcycling (creating new food from potential waste), and recycling (using waste as nonfood feedstock).
- Source separated organics: Organic waste separated at the source, meeting specific standards but excluding mixed solid waste.
- Grant Program Establishment: The EPA Administrator must run a competitive grant program with three main categories:
- Grants for studies on food waste generation and development of reduction plans (limited to government entities).
- Grants for collecting data on food waste quantities and publishing regular public reports (limited to government entities).
- Grants for implementing reduction projects, differential pricing policies to discourage landfill/incineration use, technical assistance, restrictions on disposal, requirements for reduction activities, or other approved methods, plus data collection.
- Application and Prioritization: Applicants submit proposals showing grant use; nonprofits need letters of support. The EPA must prioritize diverse locations, entities with existing programs or infrastructure needs, and projects in communities of color, low-income areas, or Tribal communities disproportionately affected by health or environmental issues.
- Special Rules for Anaerobic Digestion: Projects must include end-product recycling plans using materials as soil amendments without environmental hazards, limit animal waste to 20 percent of feedstock, and use only source separated organics for the rest.
- Reporting: Grantees report results to the EPA; the agency submits annual public reports to Congress on progress toward the 2035 goal and efforts to share learning among participants.
- Funding: Authorizes $650,000,000 annually for fiscal years 2026 through 2035, available until spent.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
This bill introduces a new federal grant program under the EPA without amending or repealing specific prior statutes. It adds a dedicated funding mechanism and oversight structure for food waste reduction, expanding EPA's role in waste management beyond existing authorities.
Potential Impacts
- On Government Agencies: The EPA gains responsibility for administering grants, reviewing applications, enforcing project rules, and tracking national progress, potentially increasing its workload in environmental programs.
- On Citizens and Communities: Local governments and residents may benefit from reduced waste disposal costs or new infrastructure in prioritized areas; the focus on disadvantaged communities could address environmental equity concerns.
- On International Relations: No direct effects are outlined in the legislation.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Federal agencies, primarily the EPA.
- State, local, territorial, and Tribal governments.
- Nonprofit organizations involved in environmental or food-related work.
- Communities, especially low-income, minority, or Tribal areas targeted for priority funding.
- Waste management and recycling sectors indirectly through project implementation.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
The bill raises no explicit constitutional issues, as it relies on standard federal spending authority. Legally, it emphasizes environmental justice by prioritizing certain communities and includes safeguards like end-product recycling plans to prevent hazards. Politically, it represents a federal investment in sustainability goals, with reporting requirements to ensure accountability and public transparency on outcomes.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Recent Actions
- 2025-12-11: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
- 2025-12-11: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- Zero Food Waste Act — issued 2025-12-11 — PDF (10 pages)