Bill > A4867

Introduced Session

This bill would establish Statewide targets to reduce the disposal of organic waste in landfills, and authorize the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to adopt regulations to achieve those targets. Organic waste is biodegradable waste that derives from organic material, and includes food, paper and cardboard, yard trimmings, animal waste, bio-solids, and sludge. The vast majority of organic waste that is generated in New Jersey is deposited into landfills, where it breaks down and releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas. While a percentage of this methane is collected by landfills and used to provide energy, much of it escapes into the atmosphere, contributing significantly to climate change. Additionally, as the largest component of municipal solid waste, organic waste takes up valuable landfill space and generates landfill liquids that can pollute waterways. Recycling food waste produces a number of environmental and economic benefits. The Statewide targets established in the bill are as follows: (1) a 50 percent reduction in the level of the Statewide disposal of organic waste from the 2016 level by January 1, 2022; and (2) a 75 percent reduction in the level of the Statewide disposal of organic waste from the 2016 level by January 1, 2027. The bill would require the DEP to adopt regulations to achieve these targets. These regulations may require local governments to impose requirements on generators of organic waste or other appropriate persons or entities, and may authorize local governments to impose reasonable penalties for noncompliance. The regulations would not, however, include a numeric organic waste disposal limit for individual landfills. The bill would authorize local governments to charge and collect reasonable fees from generators of organic waste and other appropriate persons or entities to recover costs the local government incurs in complying with the regulations. No later than July 1, 2022, the DEP would be required to prepare and submit a report analyzing the progress that the solid waste sector, State government, and local governments have made in achieving the organic waste reduction targets established in the bill. Nothing in the bill would prohibit a local government from adopting, implementing, and enforcing requirements regarding the reduction of organic waste that are more stringent than, or in addition to, those adopted under the bill. This bill is modeled substantially off of a law passed in California in 2016.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Jim Kennedy (D)*,  Yvonne Lopez (D)*,  Nancy Pinkin (D)*, 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Environment and Solid Waste Committee (on 01/15/2019)