Posted: | April 5, 2019 03:35 PM |
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From: | Representative Danielle Friel Otten |
To: | All House members |
Subject: | Making Pennsylvania a Leader in Composting |
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that food waste constitutes a whopping 22 percent of our discarded municipal solid waste. More food reaches our landfills and incinerators than any other single material in our everyday trash stream. Given this, I plan to introduce legislation with the goal of significantly diverting organic waste from our landfills and incinerators and spurring a market for organic waste composting. Besides reducing the amount of waste going to Pennsylvania’s landfills and incinerators, composting offers additional benefits for our economy, pocketbook, and environment. According to the PA-DEP website, “Throwing away leaves, grass clippings, and yard waste can add greatly to disposal costs and quantities. Composting these materials can reduce the need to purchase fertilizers, mulches, and soil conditioners.” I am hopeful that my legislation can make Pennsylvania a national leader in the effort to promote composting, help reduce waste sent to our landfills and incinerators, and address the growing environmental harm caused by our “throw away” society. |
Introduced as HB2023