Mass. seeks to divert food waste from landfills
BOSTON—Massachusetts environmental officials want to ban hospitals, universities, hotels, large restaurants, and other big businesses and institutions from throwing food waste in the trash, a move that could eventually be extended to households.
Officials say the proposal is designed to save space in landfills and reduce greenhouse gas emissions created by decomposition.
They tell The Boston Globe ( http://bo.st/K6ckGY) the measure would divert a third of the nearly 1.4 million tons of organic waste produced every year in Massachusetts to composting facilities that would convert the waste into energy and fertilizer.
The goal is to extend the ban to homes by the end of the decade.
A spokesman for the state restaurant association expressed concerns about increased costs, as well as the risk of attracting rodents by storing waste food.
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Information from: The Boston Globe, http://www.boston.com/globe
