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OLR Bill Analysis
sSB 1046
AN ACT CONCERNING THE REDUCTION OF FOOD WASTE IN
SCHOOLS.
SUMMARY
This bill establishes several requirements related to the disposal of
organic material (e.g., food) in public schools.
Beginning January 1, 2024, the bill extends to local and regional
boards of education the law’s requirement for certain larger organic
material generators to separate the materials and recycle them at
composting facilities.
By the same date, the bill requires the Department of Energy and
Environmental Protection (DEEP) commissioner to establish a
voluntary pilot program for any local or regional board of education
that wants to (1) separate source-separated organic materials and (2)
ensure that the materials are recycled at authorized composting facilities
with available capacity that will accept them.
It also allows any school under a local or regional board of
education’s authority, beginning with the 2023 school year, to
implement a composting station program consistent with guidelines the
State Department of Education (SDE) develops in consultation with
DEEP.
Lastly, the bill allows two or more boards of education, upon written
agreement, to enter into a cooperative arrangement to compost source-
separated organic materials, just as they may already do to provide
certain programs, services, and activities. By law, a cooperative
arrangement may include the formation of a committee, whose
membership the cooperating boards set, to supervise the program. 2023SB-01046-R000105-BA.DOCX
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EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
ORGANIC MATERIALS LA W EXPANSION
Under the bill, beginning January 1, 2024, each local and regional
board of education for a school district generating an annual average
projected volume of at least 26 tons of source-separated organic
materials and located within 20 miles of an authorized source-separated
organic material composting facility must (1) separate the materials
from other solid waste and (2) ensure that they are recycled at an
authorized, source-separated organic material composting facility that
has available capacity and is willing to accept them.
Currently, this requirement applies to commercial food wholesalers
or distributors, industrial food manufacturers or processors,
supermarkets, resorts, and conference centers.
Under existing law, generators may comply with the requirements
by composting the organic materials or treating them with certain
organic treatment equipment onsite. The bill correspondingly applies
this exemption to the local and regional boards of education.
COMPOSTING STATION PROGRAM
Beginning with the school year starting July 1, 2023, the bill allows
any school under a local or regional board of education’s authority to
implement a composting station program. The school must do so
consistent with guidelines that SDE must develop, in consultation with
DEEP, by January 1, 2024. For these purposes, a “composting station” is
a designated location in a school cafeteria where students and school
employees may deposit unconsumed organic material for composting.
Under the bill, the composting station program guidelines must at
least include the following:
1. the types of organic material that may be deposited in a
composting station,
2. best practices for food and beverage management and safety
concerning the items deposited at a composting station, and 2023SB-01046-R000105-BA.DOCX
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3. disposal processes for any organic material not used for
composting.
The bill also requires the guidelines to be consistent with the rules
and regulations of the state Department of Public Health, the U.S. Food
and Drug Administration, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
BACKGROUND
Organic Material and Composting Facilities
By law, “source-separated organic material” includes such things as
food scraps, food processing residue, and soiled or unrecyclable paper
that are separated, at generation, from nonorganic material (CGS § 22a-
207(30)).
A “composting facility” is land, appurtenances, structures, or
equipment where organic materials originating from another process or
location and separated at generation from nonorganic material are
recovered through accelerated biological decomposition under
controlled aerobic or anaerobic conditions (CGS § 22a-207(29)).
Related Bill
sHB 5577, favorably reported by the Environment Committee, (1)
requires DEEP, by October 1, 2023, to amend its regulations to expand
the list of designated (i.e., mandated) recyclable items to include food
scraps and (2) requires municipalities, by January 1, 2024, to separate
their organic materials and have them recycled at a composting facility.
COMMITTEE ACTION
Committee on Children
Joint Favorable
Yea 14 Nay 5 (02/28/2023)