2023 -- S 0201
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LC001075
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S TATE OF RHODE IS LAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023
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A N A C T
RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- REFUSE DISPOSAL -- FOOD WASTE BAN
Introduced By: Senators Valverde, Gu, Kallman, Miller, DiMario, Euer, LaMountain,
Acosta, Tikoian, and Ujifusa
Date Introduced: February 16, 2023
Referred To: Senate Environment & Agriculture
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
SECTION 1. Section 23-18.9-17 of the General Laws in Chapter 23-18.9 entitled "Refuse 1
Disposal" is hereby amended to read as follows: 2
23-18.9-17. Food waste ban. 3
(a) On and after January 1, 2016, each covered entity and each covered educational 4
institution shall ensure that the organic-waste materials that are generated by the covered entity or 5
at the covered educational facility are recycled at an authorized composting facility or anaerobic 6
digestion facility or by another authorized recycling method if: 7
(1) The covered entity or covered educational facility generates not less than one hundred 8
four (104) tons per year of organic-waste material; and 9
(2) The covered entity or covered educational facility is located not more than fifteen (15) 10
miles from an authorized composting facility or anaerobic digestion facility with available capacity 11
to accept such material. 12
(b) On and after January 1, 2018, each covered educational institution shall ensure that the 13
organic-waste materials that are generated at the covered educational facility are recycled at an 14
authorized composting facility or anaerobic digestion facility or by another authorized recycling 15
method if: 16
(1) The covered educational facility generates not less than fifty-two (52) tons per year of 17
organic-waste material; and 18
(2) The covered entity or covered educational facility is located not more than fifteen (15) 19
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miles from an authorized composting facility or anaerobic digestion facility with available capacity 1
to accept such material. 2
(c) The director shall grant a waiver of the requirements of subsections (a) and (b) upon a 3
showing that the tipping fee charged by the Rhode Island resource recovery corporation for non-4
contract commercial sector waste is less than the fee charged for organic-waste material by each 5
composting facility or anaerobic digestion facility located within fifteen (15) miles of the covered 6
entity’s location. 7
(d) On and after January 1, 2023, each educational entity (as defined in § 16-110-1) shall 8
ensure that the organic-waste materials that are generated by the educational entity are recycled at 9
an authorized composting facility or anaerobic digestion facility or by another authorized recycling 10
method if: 11
(1) The educational entity generates not less than thirty (30) tons per year of organic-waste 12
material; and 13
(2) The educational entity is located not more than fifteen (15) miles from an authorized 14
composting facility or anaerobic digestion facility with available capacity to accept such material. 15
(e) On and after January 1, 2024, each covered entity shall ensure that the organic-waste 16
materials that are generated by the covered entity are recycled at an authorized composting facility 17
or anaerobic digestion facility or by another authorized recycling method if: 18
(1) The covered entity generates not less than fifty-two (52) tons per year of organic-waste 19
material; and 20
(2) The covered entity is located not more than thirty (30) miles from an authorized 21
composting facility or anaerobic digestion facility with available capacity to accept such material. 22
(f) On and after January 1, 2025, each covered entity shall ensure that the organic-waste 23
materials that are generated by the covered entity are recycled at an authorized composting facility 24
or anaerobic digestion facility or by another authorized recycling method if: 25
(1) The covered entity generates not less than twenty-six (26) tons per year of organic-26
waste material; and 27
(2) The covered entity is located not more than thirty (30) miles from an authorized 28
composting facility or anaerobic digestion facility with available capacity to accept such material. 29
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. 30
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO HEALTH AND SAFETY -- REFUSE DISPOSAL -- FOOD WASTE BAN
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This act would require a covered entity generating organic waste materials of more than 1
fifty-two (52) tons per year and located less than thirty (30) miles from an authorized composting 2
facility or anaerobic digestion facility to recycle the waste at that facility beginning January 1, 2024. 3
Effective January 1, 2025, the annual tonnage drops to more than twenty-six (26) tons per year. 4
This act would take effect upon passage. 5
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