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The state Legislature passed organics management laws in 2022, 2024, and 2025. These laws aim to take organic materials out of landfills through prevention, food rescue, and recycling facilities.
The laws will help Washington achieve its 2030 goal to remove 75% of the organic materials in our landfills.
Washington’s organics management laws will help residents and businesses divert food and yard waste from landfills to reduce methane emissions and slow climate change. These laws create opportunities to prevent food waste and recover nutrients and energy through composting, anaerobic digestion, and other technologies.
These laws are slated to triple the amount of organics materials collected for recovery by 2035. The 2025 Compost Market Study provides a county-by-county analysis on the total volumes of organic material to be collected as a result of the organic management laws. This analysis is based on assumptions about the implementation of the organics management laws but does provide an estimate of the economic opportunity in the compost industry as a result of these new requirements.
Businesses that are in a Business Organics Management Area (BOMA) need to manage their food, yard, and other organic waste so that it stays out of the trash. The easiest way is often for businesses to use curbside collection service. A phased approach adds new businesses each year that must follow the law based on how much organic waste they produce.
As of January 2026, a business is impacted if they are in a BOMA and generate 96 gallons or more of organic waste per week. More details are on the BOMA webpage.
The Washington Center for Sustainable Food Management (“the Food Center”) launched in January 2024. The Food Center works across the state to prevent food waste, save edible food, and support food recovery. These efforts help Washington reduce waste and get food to people who need it.
By April 1, 2027, cities and counties in an Organics Recycling Collection Area (ORCA) must make year-round organics collection services available to:
All residential customers, except multifamily, and
All non-residential customers that produce more than .25 cubic yards/45 gallons of organic waste per week.
The law requires service to be provided at least 26 times per year to customers.
Starting April 1, 2030, customers in an ORCA, except multifamily residences, must have organic waste collection service (i.e., the service becomes “non-elective”). Food waste must be allowed in collection containers, or the local government must have another way to collect food waste from customers.
Each city and county in the ORCA is part of the organics management laws. If Washington falls short of the 2030 goals to remove 75% of the organic materials out of our landfills, we may begin rulemaking to address the issue.
Plastic produce stickers are a challenge for compost facilities because people often leave them on fruit and vegetables when putting them into a collection bin. With help from Greene Economics LLC and the Washington State Department of Agriculture, we looked at alternatives to plastic stickers in a report for the Legislature. See the report from our research consultant and a shortened version for the Legislature below in the Research and reports section.
The organics management law in 2024 created the Food Donation Work Group. From July 2024 through April 2025, the group met regularly and developed recommendations to make food rescue and donation easier and more effective across the state. The Food Donation Workgroup’s mission: help more businesses and surplus food generators rescue their extra food instead of tossing it out.
Partners at the table included hunger relief organizations, food businesses, Tribes, local and state governments, technology and logistics companies, and environmental groups. Together, they shared insights, described barriers, and sought practical solutions. See the report in the Research and reports section below.
Solid waste plans must include siting for new or expanded organics management facilities, so processing capacity can keep up with the amount of organic materials collected locally.
After July 1, 2026, SWMPs must describe a plan and timeline to phase in multifamily organics and food waste collection.
After Jan. 1, 2027, new and updated SWMPs must be consistent with requirements of ORCA (RCW 70A.205.540).
Compost Procurement Ordinances (CPOs) help cities and counties prioritize and buy local compost to use in their projects. Some counties and cities must adopt a CPO and send an annual report to Ecology with information about the organic materials collected and compost purchased.
Items that claim to be compostable must be certified by a third-party and labeled according to chapter 70A.455 RCW, the Plastic Product Degradability Act. The law does not apply to wood items or products made from more than 98% fiber without any added plastics.
Compostable items in Washington must:
Have green, beige, or brown coloring,
Show the word “compostable,”
Display the logo of a third-party certifier who has verified the item’s compostability, and
Be listed on a producer’s Declaration of Compliance with Ecology.
This law bans producers from using words like biodegradable and other terms without standard meanings. Plastic (i.e. non-compostable) film bags cannot use green, beige, or brown except for limited reasons.
