Grocery stores adapt to new organic waste regulations
The change was made as part of a law related to methane emissions in Washington state.
Marlene’s Market in Federal Way is among the grocery stores that have taken an innovative approach to reducing organic waste after new regulations took effect in January.
Starting in January 2024, businesses in Federal Way that produce at least eight cubic yards of organic material per week will be required to collect it and send it to the proper processing facility. Organic waste refers to food and yard scraps and must be processed differently than recyclables or garbage.
Marlene’s has launched a community deli and produce composting system, which involves bagging rotting produce and deli scraps and then selling them for 99 cents a pound, according to a representative of the waste management company that serves Federal Way.
The change was made as part of House Bill 1799, which includes more than 20 changes to laws related to methane emissions in Washington state.
A presentation by the Sound Cities Association and Cedar Grove on February 15, 2023, discussed the history of the bill. Speakers included speakers who have experienced similar policy and practice changes in organic waste management in their own communities.
Heather Trim, executive director of ZeroWaste Washington, reminded her audience of the “heat dome that happened two years ago and how intense it was” and said it was just “a reminder that the reason we pass these kinds of bills is because of climate change.”
So what does leftover food have to do with the weather? Trim covered the basics in his presentation, explaining that methane is a greenhouse gas, meaning it’s similar to carbon dioxide in that it traps heat from the sun and radiates less of it back into space.
According to the Washington Department of Ecology: “Methane has a global warming potential more than 80 times that of carbon dioxide over a 20-year period and is responsible for more than 25% of today’s temperature impacts of climate change. In landfills, methane is produced by the decomposition of food, plants and other organic materials.”
When these food scraps, plants, and other organic materials decay without being exposed to oxygen, they produce methane. In appropriate composting facilities, these materials can be broken down and turned into the useful product compost, rather than decaying and producing a greenhouse gas.
WM representatives contacted 20 of Federal Way’s 21 grocery stores last year before the law went into effect to ensure they were prepared for success. They also conducted 193 one-on-one interviews and provided recycling education to stores in 13 Federal Way shopping centers.
In the six months since the laws went into effect, a WM representative said they have seen an “increase in compost volumes through 2024,” but could not provide details on compliance. The data showing an increase in compost volumes includes multi-family housing, so exact figures on the impact of this change in the law are not yet available.
The law requires companies that produce more than eight cubic meters per week to pay for the disposal of organic waste. This is equivalent to about 67 of the largest household garbage containers, according to WM.
WM could not say exactly how much this new law will cost businesses because Federal Way has a fee cap that limits how much a business must pay for waste disposal, including garbage, single-stream recycling and/or compost. If a business had already reached this fee cap, its costs to add more organic waste disposal services would not have increased at all.
A WM employee shared, “We believe that for a company to set up an effective and efficient biosystem, it’s about education, equipment, signage and employee training. WM’s outreach team is trained to educate and assist companies in setting up smart systems and optimizing them over time. We go on the ground to help companies and provide helpful resources.”
