Bill > S2438

This bill amends existing laws related to school waste recycling and refuse disposal by introducing new provisions and modifying current ones. It defines "sharing table" as a designated area in school cafeterias for students and staff to place unopened, prepackaged, shelf-stable food items, wrapped or thick-skinned fruits, and unopened perishable food items that are properly temperature-controlled, allowing for their redistribution to reduce waste and food insecurity. Educational entities, which include all public and private schools from kindergarten through twelfth grade, charter schools, and career and technical high schools, will be required to report the results of their waste audits, which are analyses of their waste streams to identify recyclable materials and waste, to the commissioner of the Rhode Island Department of Education starting January 1, 2027, with these results to be published online. The bill also strengthens requirements for food service companies (vendors) contracting with educational entities, mandating that they must purchase a percentage of food from Rhode Island-based companies and exclusively use vendors who recycle organic waste, with penalties for non-compliance including exclusion from future bids. Furthermore, vendors will be required to report annually on the amount of unserved food they donate to food banks, with failure to comply resulting in fines and exclusion from future contracts. The bill also expands the mandatory recycling of organic waste for educational entities to include those generating as little as thirty tons per year, and sets a new requirement for all educational entities to recycle organic waste starting January 1, 2029. Finally, it mandates that all public school students, from elementary through high school, receive an annual presentation on litter prevention, reducing and reusing materials, and recycling awareness.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

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