2026 has already been a busy year for U.S. food policy. In the last 30 days alone, we've seen Maryland finalize farm composting grants, Washington sign a food security act, and Illinois advance a bill that would fundamentally change how every major airport, hotel, and grocery store in the state handles food scraps.
To get a better picture of the compost revolution in conjunction with Earth Day (April 22), LawnStarter put together a collection of U.S. Composting Stats, Policies, and Roadblocks. Why does LawnStarter care about composting? Organic yard waste, like grass clippings, is compostable, and 26 states have banned yard waste from landfills.
Food waste hits home financially: The average U.S. family of 4 tosses out $2,913 worth of food (or $728 per person) each year. This accounts for about 11% of total annual household food budgets and is almost double the cost of household food waste (previously $1,500) initially introduced by the USDA in 2010.
More Insights:
- The U.S. has just 18 years of landfill capacity left, a 2020 report found, fueling price increases and indicating a need for new waste management solutions before 2038.
- A report on contamination across 10 U.S. composting facilities found that an average of 21% of operating costs are spent on removing contaminants.
- 7 states have active or pending extended producer responsibility for packaging laws, making companies responsible for the waste caused by their packaging.
Read the full story here: https://www.lawnstarter.com/
Other helpful links:
- By the Numbers: Composting and Food Waste
- Reality Check: Composting Challenges and Imperfect Infrastructure
- Timeline: U.S. Food Waste Policy Highlights
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