Dive Brief:
- A bill in Indiana that would allow food waste to be recycled into swine feed unanimously passed in the House.
- If adopted, HB 1170 would permit food waste to be transformed into feed in accordance with regulations approved by the Indiana Board of Animal Health.
- Federal law allows for scraps to be converted into dry feed, but the state doesn’t have a statute that makes it possible.
Dive Insight:
The author of the measure, State Representative Matt Ubelhor (R-Bloomfield) crafted the bill after a local teacher noticed a significant volume of waste was being thrown into the trash at schools and restaurants.
A toolkit created by Feeding America and the food industry launched in June 2014. The kit features tips for reducing food waste at all levels and provides suggestions about what to do with organic waste, including converting it into feedstock.
Studies show that 80 billion pounds of food scraps in the country are sent to landfills every year.