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Food Waste – Schools

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[/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_column_text css=””]On December 21, 2023, Governor Murphy signed the School Food Waste Recycling Law into effect.  The law allows schools to collect food waste for on-site recycling through in-vessel composting and anaerobic digestion systems (AD) and also allows schools without on-site in-vessel composting and AD systems to transfer collected food waste to another school equipped with such systems. For additional information, please see the guidance document and notification form below.

Notes:

• The notification form is only applicable to schools that accept food waste from other schools.
• Schools generating an average projected volume of 52 tons of food waste or more per year and are located within 25 road miles of an authorized food waste recycling facility are not subject to this law, but are subject to the Food Waste Recycling rules (N.J.A.C. 7:26K ) which implement the Food Waste Recycling and Food Waste-to-Energy Production Law (N.J.S.A. 13:1E-99.122 et seq. ).

[/vc_column_text][info-box-shortcode icon=”fa fa-regular fa-file-pdf” buttontitle=”School Food Waste In-Vessel Composting and Anaerobic Digestion Guidance Document: developed pursuant to N.J.S.A. 13:1E-99.115a” buttonlink=”/wp-content/uploads/dshw/2025-school-food-waste-guidance-doc-without-form.pdf” targetlink=”true”][/info-box-shortcode][vc_empty_space][info-box-shortcode icon=”fa fa-solid fa-up-right-from-square” buttontitle=”School Food Waste In-Vessel Composting and Anaerobic Digestion Notification Form” buttonlink=”https://deptest.nj.gov/dshw/swpl/fw/schools/school-food-waste-form/” targetlink=”true”][/info-box-shortcode][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text css=””]K-12 schools and higher education institutions are important in helping New Jersey meet its goal of reducing food waste 50% by 2030. While schools play a significant role in reducing, recovering and recycling food waste they also have an opportunity to teach future generations the importance of our food, where it comes from, and how we can use it best. The Department of Environmental Protection has a set of guidelines to help K-12 schools and higher education institutions reduce, recover, and recycle food waste. You can find the School Food Waste Guidelines and related materials and resources below:[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][info-box-shortcode icon=”far fa-file-pdf” buttontitle=”School Food Waste Guidelines” buttonlink=”/wp-content/uploads/sustainability/school-food-waste-guidelines/school_food_waste_guidelines_february_2024.pdf” targetlink=”true”][/info-box-shortcode][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text css=””]

Additionally, Sustainable Jersey for Schools, in collaboration with Rutgers Cooperative Extension, has developed a toolkit for PreK-12 Schools to Reduce, Recover & Recycle Food Waste with funding provided by the DEP’s Division of Sustainable Waste Management. The toolkit is available below:[/vc_column_text][info-box-shortcode icon=”far fa-file-pdf” buttontitle=”Toolkit” buttonlink=”https://www.sustainablejerseyschools.com/fileadmin/media/Grants_and_Resources/Resources/Food_Waste_Toolkit/SJS_PreK-12_Food_Waste_Toolkit.pdf” targetlink=”true”][/info-box-shortcode][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”1762″ img_size=”full” alignment=”right” onclick=”img_link_large” css=””][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_empty_space height=”50px”][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row]