Dive Brief:

• The Central Landfill in Rhode Island is expected to close in 25 years, prompting the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation (RIRRC) to make recycling and composting food waste a statewide priority.
• Legislators, regulators, utility companies, processors, haulers  and consumers will all need to be involved to make food diversion successful, says RIRRC Executive Director Michael O'Connell. 
• Current figures provided by O'Connell suggest that reducing food waste by 100,000 tons (13%) could extend the life of the landfill by five years.

Dive Insight:

The agency expects to conduct a long-term study to discover the amount of recyclables and food waste that enters into the landfill. Initiatives will be created from the results of the study. The Rhode Island Food Policy Council will launch a pilot program created by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that will teach households how to reduce food waste. State legislators are working on a law that would make it illegal to dispose of food waste.