The state Legislature passed organics management laws in 2022 and 2024. These laws aim to divert organic materials away from landfills through prevention, food rescue, and organics management facilities.
These actions will help Washington achieve its 2030 goal to reduce organic material in the landfill by 75%.
Washington’s organics management laws will divert organics from landfills and reduce methane emissions, which is a key strategy to address climate change. These laws simultaneously create opportunities for food waste prevention and recovery while supporting the compost market.
70A.205.545
This section establishes a phased approach to collect source-separated organics from businesses.
Specific details about the Business Organics Management Areas are outlined on the BOMA webpage.
The Washington Center for Sustainable Food Management (“the Food Center”) launched in January 2024. The Food Center coordinates statewide food waste reduction efforts in service of Washington meeting its food waste and recovery goals. The Center is established in RCW 70A.207.020.
The Legislature directed us to develop grant programs starting in 2025, which will be managed through the Food Center. The priority areas for funding are:
Prevent the creation of unsold and uneaten food from food businesses, and/or improve their food donations process.
Improve transportation and cold storage in the rescued food supply chain.
Support the creation and expansion of wasted food reduction programs to benefit vulnerable communities.
Invest in food waste tracking and data analytics pilot strategies.
Support the implementation of Washington’s organics management laws.
Stay tuned for grant updates by signing up for Food Center email updates, including information about available grant funding and eligibility.
By April 1, 2027, cities and counties with a local solid waste plan must make year-round organics collection services available to:
All residential customers, except multifamily residences.
All non-residential customers that create more than .25 cubic yards of organic waste per week.
Cities and counties that already had organics collection service as of Jan. 1, 2024, are not required to provide year-round service so long as weekly service is provided at least 26 times per year.
By April 1, 2030, all customers in these cities and counties, except multifamily residences, must receive organics and food waste collection service.
Compost facilities struggle to keep produce stickers out of their finished products, which are frequently left on when food is put into the collection bin. A consultant will help study and write a report on produce sticker technologies, including compostable options and stickers without plastic adhesives. We will work with the Washington Department of Agriculture to deliver this study to the Legislature by Sept. 1, 2025.
The Food Center will convene a work group to discuss how to improve the rescue of edible food from businesses like restaurants, grocery stores, food processors, and distributors. This workgroup will create a report with recommendations to the Legislature by Sept. 1, 2025.
The work group will have representatives from the following areas:
Local government (cities and counties)
Organizations
Washington hospitality businesses
A retail grocery association
Food processors
Food producers
Nonprofits
Providing hunger relief and represent diverse needs (three members)
Specializing in food recovery and hunger issues (two members)
Specializing in environmental issues, especially waste and recycling
State departments (including Ecology)
Agriculture
Health
Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
Companies
Food distributors (one large, one small)
Technology company focused on food rescue
Open seats (two members)
These can be appointed by workgroup members or nominated if gaps in membership are identified.
We must coordinate with the Washington Department of Agriculture to establish compatible and voluntary reporting protocols to track food donations, which support the goals of the Center. This work will be prioritized through improving data and tracking when the Washington Center for Sustainable Food Management launches in January 2024.
By Jan. 1, 2025, we must research and adopt model ordinances for use by counties and cities and provide model mechanisms for commercial solid waste collection and disposal.
These model ordinances are designed to establish a financial disincentive or other disincentives, for organic waste generation and disposal in landfills. Model ordinances must be designed to provide options preferred by jurisdictions of different sizes and consider other key criteria applicable to local circumstances.
After July 1, 2024, new and updated local comprehensive solid waste management plans must address the new requirement to provide organic materials collection and management to residential and nonresidential customers. This includes siting new organic management facilities.
After Jan. 1, 2025, county comprehensive plans must allow siting of organics management facilities to provide necessary capacity for organics collection.
After Jan. 1, 2027, new and updated comprehensive plans must be consistent with requirements of Section 102.
Compost Procurement Ordinances (CPOs) are a tool for cities, towns, and counties to look for opportunities to buy compost products and use it in their projects.
Some counties and cities in Washington must adopt a CPO and submit an annual report on their compost procurement activities as required by the Organics Management Laws.
Under RCW 43.19A.150, the deadline for those jurisdictions that meet certain criteria to adopt a CPO was Jan. 1, 2023. If your jurisdiction has adopted a CPO, upload it to this Box Portal.
Cities and counties required to adopt a CPO must report to us annually. The first annual report is due by March 31, 2025 and should include the available data for 2024. After that, reports are due by March 31 each year on the previous year's data.
We are developing an online system where local governments can submit their compost procurement activity reports We anticipate the new portal to be available by the end of 2024.
By Jan. 1, 2024 producers of compostable products must meet specific requirements for degradability and labeling, as defined by RCW 70A.455. These requirements apply to three major categories of compostable plastic products:
film bags
plastic food service products
film products.
All compostable products sold in the Washington State must:
Meet ASTM Standard Specifications D6400 or D6868, or be comprised of wood.
Clearly display a logo of a recognized third party verification body.
Display the word “compostable.”
Use green, beige or brown labeling, color striping to help differentiate compostable products from non-compostable products.
