NJ DEP Earth Week Report Shows Food Waste Down 14% Since 2017

IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 23, 2026

Contact: Lawrence Hajna (609) 984-1795
Caryn Shinske (609) 984-1795
Vincent Grassi (609) 984-1795

DEP MARKS EARTH WEEK BY RELEASING REPORT DEMONSTRATING PROGRESS TOWARD REDUCING FOOD WASTE IN NEW JERSEY

(26/P17) TRENTON – Marking Earth Week, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Acting Commissioner Ed Potosnak today released a report that demonstrates New Jersey is making meaningful progress toward its goal of reducing food waste in the municipal solid waste stream.

The Food Waste Reduction Act sets a goal of reducing food waste generation by 50 percent from 2017, the year of enactment, by the year 2030. According to the DEP Food Waste Reduction Act 50X30 progress report released today, food waste generation declined 14 percent between 2017 and 2022, the most recent year for which solid waste data are available. The reduction was achieved through a combination of waste prevention, food donation, and composting.

“The considerable reduction in food waste is a strong indication of the work all of us – whether at home, at work, or in our schools and other institutions – are doing to ensure that food is not wasted and gets to people who really need it. This Earth Week, we urge everyone to keep up the good work and be even more mindful of donating food and working with organizations in their communities to prevent food waste, said Acting Commissioner Potosnak.”

“Agriculture, as an industry, is uniquely positioned to help New Jersey continue reaching goals in reducing food waste. At the same time, the Department’s programs address increasing food security for our residents,” said New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Ed Wengryn. “Initiatives such as gleaning, whether from farm crops or supermarket surplus, supply food banks with fresh fruits and vegetables, ensuring that nutritious foods reach communities in need.  Improved nutrition standards in school meals, options in meal selection and right sizing meal choices are ways we reduce food waste on the front end, along with higher quality meals and ingredients.”

“I’m proud to see the work our state is committed to doing to feed its residents is paying off, and the reduction in food waste we are seeing is such a critically important part of that solution,” said Assembly Speaker Craig J. Coughlin. “It’s about making sure no food goes to waste when it can help a family in need and making better use of the resources we already have. With the goal of ending hunger by 2030 at the forefront of our efforts, the Legislature has had more than 40 bills on food insecurity signed into law, because nobody should be going hungry when we have the support to make a real difference.”

Food Waste Reduction by the Numbers

The amount of food waste generated in 2017 is estimated at nearly 1.5 million tons. The amount generated in 2022 is estimated at about 1.3 million tons, a 14 percent reduction. Data obtained for this progress report originated from multiple sources. The solid waste and recycling figures from 2022 came from facility reports that were reported that year to DEP. The percentage of food waste in the solid waste stream came from a waste audit conducted in 2022 by Rutgers University as part of a grant they received from DEP under the state’s Recycling Enhancement Act.

The statewide study cited in the report was conducted by Rutgers University and found the reduction in food waste was significant in comparison to the overall reduction of solid waste in the state.

Actions Toward Success

New Jersey has taken many steps to reduce food waste and enhance food security. In overview, they include:

• Creating a website and online toolkit containing information and resources about food waste reduction
• Implementing a Food Waste Reduction Map to help connect donors and potential recipients with excess food supplies
• Utilizing state and federal grant funding to support food waste planning at the local level
• Issuing grants to 14 institutions of higher education
• Developing guidelines for reducing, recovering, and recycling food waste at schools
• Collaborating on waste reduction initiatives with the New Jersey Office of Food Security Advocate
• Funding the Meal Recovery Coalition Key Initiatives in Detail

Addressing Food Insecurity: A major component of the state’s food waste reduction efforts is connecting surplus food with families and communities in need. To advance this mission, the DEP works closely with the NJ Office of the Food Security Advocate, established in 2021 to identify gaps in food access programs, coordinate partnerships with food pantries and community kitchens, support school meals initiatives, and strengthen food recovery networks statewide.

Additionally, the DEP and its partners developed the Food Waste Reduction Map, an interactive mapping application that identifies food generators, food recovery organizations and food waste processing facilities across the state to help connect them with organizations that can accept excess food for distribution to communities experiencing food insecurity.

Food Waste Policies: Several state laws support New Jersey’s food waste reduction efforts. The Food Waste Recycling and Food Waste to Energy Production Law requires certain large food waste generators producing an average of 52 tons or more annually and located within 25 road miles of an authorized recycling facility to separate and recycle food waste.

The School Food Waste Recycling Law also allows schools to recycle food waste through composting or anaerobic digestion on-site or transfer it to schools equipped to manage it.

More recently, new legislation requires the development of a tiered permitting structure to enhance the state’s food waste recycling infrastructure. It also requires each solid waste management district to develop strategies to reduce food waste by 50 percent based on 2022 generation levels, recognizing food donation, composting, and anaerobic digestion as key pathways to reduction.

“There are a multitude of untapped opportunities to build food security in New Jersey through innovation that leverages our local food supply and reduces food waste, ” said Mark Dinglasan, Executive Director of the New Jersey Office of the Food Security Advocate (OFSA). “As my office continues to work with our state agency peers to create greater transparency and stronger connections between our state’s farmers, growers, ranchers, fisheries, producers, retailers, and our residents, communities will be better positioned to reclaim their collective voice and choice in what foods are grown, harvested, produced, sold, served, donated and offered.

“OFSA is elated to be able to continuously partner with Acting Commissioner Potosnak and the tremendous teams at the DEP and my office stands ready to support however we can,” he added. “Efforts such as DEP’s development of a relevant mapping tool, its Environmental Justice Action Plan and the department’s service on the multidisciplinary Executive Committee of the three-year NJ Food Security Strategic Plan OFSA released in February are just a few examples of innovation and collaboration that can reduce food waste and build true food security for New Jerseyans.”

Sustainable Food Waste Management Planning: New Jersey continues to expand food waste recycling opportunities and planning tools to support these goals. Through financial support from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling Grant, DEP is funding the development of guidance to help counties and municipalities create sustainable food waste management plans and tools to help businesses estimate food waste generation and determine compliance with recycling requirements.

“Reducing food waste benefits everyone,” Paul Baldauf, the DEP’s Assistant Commissioner for Air, Energy & Materials Sustainability said. “It is one of the most immediate ways to lower costs and emissions, and to use our resources wisely to make sure that excess food reaches the people who need it most.”

Resources

For more information about food waste reduction in New Jersey, DEP’s Food Waste webpage can be found at https://dep.nj.gov/dshw/swpl/fw/. In addition, DEP’s Erase Food Waste NJ social media campaign raises awareness and educates the public about the state’s food waste policy and goals. Tips on how to reduce food waste generation at home continue to be posted on DEP’s social media pages using the hashtag #EraseFoodWasteNJ. The DEP plans to implement a social media campaign soon that will provide helpful tips on reducing food waste.

For more information on DEP’s celebration of Earth Week 2026, including a proclamation signed by Governor Sherrill, press releases, social media and other resources, visit https://dep.nj.gov/