Require commercial services, sports facilities, and schools that produce over 100 lbs of total trash waste per week to

have compost as a third disposal option.

 

The purpose of this bill is to help reduce pollution and lessen food waste in Minnesota. By using compost, the state

will significantly reduce the volume of organic waste currently directed to landfills.

 

This bill is necessary to help Minnesota’s environment. According to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency official

website, “The majority of the food Minnesotans threw out in 2019 and 2020 - about 62% - could have been eaten or

donated.”, and “Organics make up about one third of the waste stream in Minnesota.” If Minnesota works to lessen organic

waste, we can help improve these statistics.

The environmental impacts of food getting disposed of in the trash instead of being composted severely affect the

environment. Most disposed of food ends up in landfills, which produce greenhouse gases. These greenhouse gases heat the

atmosphere, which is a leading cause of global warming.

This bill supports the long-term goal of building local composting infrastructure necessary for Minnesota to meet future

sustainability targets.

 

1) “Compost” shall be defined as a mixture that consists largely of decayed organic

matter and is used for fertilizing and conditioning land. Food waste can be

converted into compost if disposed of properly.

2) “Greenhouse gases” shall be defined as gases in the Earth's atmosphere that

trap heat by absorbing and re-radiating infrared energy from the planet's surface.

3) “Commercial services” shall be defined as services offered and sold

competitively in the commercial marketplace. This includes retail and office

spaces.

4) “Sports facilities” shall be defined as a structure or area designed and equipped

to host or support various athletic activities, ranging from small community gyms

to large stadiums.

5) “Schools” shall be defined as a building that encompasses the physical

structures, equipment, and grounds that support the educational process. This is

any school, including charter, private, post-secondary, and public.

 

The funding for this bill will be provided by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. The MPCA will fund collection

services. Annual property taxes for citizens will rise by $10 to help support the MPCA. This number is taken from the

hypothetical cost of funding, which is $20 million, divided by the number of households in Minnesota (2,350,536 in

2024). This equals $8.51. This bill will round up to $10 on taxes.

 

MPCA will help enforce this bill. They will follow the same protocol as they do with recycling. They oversee what

commercial services, sports facilities, and schools do or do not expose of compost if they meet the requirements needed.

When a commercial service, sports facility, or school fails to meet the requirements of this bill, they will first get a

Notice of Violation (NOV). Failure to correct the violation after 30 days of an NOV will result in a $5,000 fee for the

first three instances of non-compliance. Then, the fee goes up to $10,000.

 

 

January 1st, 2027