Turning Mandate into Momentum

Food waste bans are spreading across the United States, yet few have produced measurable reductions in landfilled waste. Massachusetts is a notable exception.

A 2024 Science study found that Massachusetts was the only state where a commercial food waste ban correlated with a statistically significant decline in waste sent to landfills. While ReFED and other organizations identified some limitations in the study, the overall trend is clear: Massachusetts has achieved measurable results where others have not.

As The Boston Globe reported, “Massachusetts has quietly pulled off one of the nation’s most successful food waste reduction efforts, thanks to practical rules, early investment, and strong business support.”

This article explores how the Commonwealth aligned policy with strategic investments in infrastructure and technical assistance to create a practical, scalable model, and how the ReFED Catalytic Grant Fund is helping that model expand across the country.

The Policy Foundation: Designing for Real-World Adoption

Massachusetts’ Commercial Food Material Disposal Ban took effect in 2014, requiring large generators (one ton of food waste per week or more) to divert their food scraps from disposal. The threshold was reduced to a half ton per week in 2022, allowing time for infrastructure and markets to mature.

Several design features were key to its success:

• Education-first enforcement: The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) prioritized outreach and assistance before issuing penalties.

• Phased approach: Like many states, Massachusetts adopted a phased approach—but its success lies in the depth of implementation at each stage, ensuring that infrastructure, enforcement, and assistance evolved together.

• Clarity over complexity: Clear applicability criteria and few exemptions simplified compliance and enforcement.

From 2014 to 2018, Massachusetts achieved a 13.2 percent decline in landfilled waste.

The Infrastructure Equation: Building Capacity Before Enforcement

Policy success depended on infrastructure readiness. MassDEP paired the ban with targeted investments and permitting updates to expand processing capacity.

Key enablers included:

• State investment programs: The Recycling and Reuse Business Development Grant, the Sustainable Materials Recovery Program, and support from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (including feasibility and early-stage development grants for anaerobic digestion) expanded composting, anaerobic digestion, and food rescue capacity.

• Regulatory modernization: Composting and anaerobic digestion permitting was streamlined, encouraging private investment.

• Market development: Public–private partnerships supported haulers, composters, and food recovery organizations.

The results:

• Roughly 4,150 businesses and institutions now participate in food waste services, up from about 1,350 in 2014.

• Anaerobic digestion capacity is estimated at 600,000 tons per year, complemented by expanded composting and rescue networks.

• The sector supports over 1,600 jobs, $143 million in labor income, and $390 million in statewide economic activity (BioCycle 2025).

By ensuring infrastructure capacity kept pace with tightening requirements, Massachusetts created the conditions for long-term success.

The Human Factor: Technical Assistance That Meets Businesses Where They Are

Infrastructure alone does not ensure compliance. Massachusetts’ success also relied on practical, on-the-ground help for businesses.

RecyclingWorks in Massachusetts, a program funded by the MassDEP that CET administers, launched in 2011. The program offers on-site waste assessments, financial modeling, staff training, vendor coordination, and follow-up support. In other words, RecyclingWorks takes the work out of designing and implementing a durable food waste diversion program, so business owners don’t have to.

By meeting businesses where they are and making it radically easy to participate, we help turn regulatory requirements into operational improvements. Participants report lower disposal costs, cleaner recycling streams, stronger employee engagement, and creative opportunities for customer engagement—such as showcasing finished compost in planters or landscaping, as Johnny’s Luncheonette in Newton and the Hyannis Yacht Club have done.

The high demand for our train-the-trainer model, supported through the ReFED Catalytic Grant Fund, shows how essential technical assistance is for turning policy into measurable outcomes.

Replicating Success: Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New York Follow Massachusetts’ Lead

The Massachusetts model has influenced neighboring states that share similar goals.

• Connecticut’s Commercial Organics Recycling Law mirrors Massachusetts’ phased, threshold-based approach, applying to large generators near processing facilities.

• Rhode Island’s Refuse Disposal Ban for Organics took a similar path, with CET contributing to infrastructure mapping and technical assistance.

• New York State’s Food Donation and Food Scraps Recycling Law draws on these lessons and now includes business support programs. Companies such as Harney & Sons Tea have successfully implemented diversion strategies with CET’s help.

These regional efforts demonstrate how a consistent, adaptable framework can drive progress across state lines.

The ReFED Catalytic Grant: Scaling Implementation Capacity Nationwide

The ReFED Catalytic Grant Fund supports solutions with measurable potential to reduce wasted food. Our award focuses on scaling our proven technical assistance model through a national train-the-trainer program.

The initiative helps organizations across the country replicate our approach—offering practical guidance, sharing best practices, and building local capacity to assist businesses in complying with food waste diversion policies.

This work addresses a growing need: as more states consider food waste legislation, many lack the on-the-ground support required to help businesses comply efficiently and effectively.

Lessons for Policymakers and Practitioners

Massachusetts’ experience offers clear, evidence-based lessons:

1. Phase strategically: Allow time for infrastructure and markets to develop.

2. Simplify compliance: Clear thresholds and minimal exemptions increase participation.

3. Invest early: Fund infrastructure before expanding requirements.

4. Pair mandates with assistance: Technical help makes compliance easier—and turns it into an opportunity for operational and financial improvement.

5. Use accessible language: Public framing matters. Recent message testing by NRDC found that “food waste diversion policy” resonates more positively than “organic waste ban,” underscoring how wording shapes perception and participation.

6. Prioritize consistency: Predictable enforcement builds trust and stability.

7. Quantify impact: Track data and share results to maintain stakeholder support.

8. Encourage collaboration: Regional partnerships strengthen infrastructure and markets.

9. Adapt over time: Continuous improvement keeps programs effective.

From Local Innovation to National Blueprint

Massachusetts has shown that food waste disposal bans are effective when paired with complementary services and investments. Success comes from building the ecosystem that supports organics diversion.

By combining clear regulation, early investment, and strong business support, the Commonwealth achieved measurable, cost-effective reductions in wasted food.

With ReFED’s catalytic investment, we are now applying those lessons nationally, helping other states and organizations develop the tools and capacity needed to turn policy into practice.

Massachusetts’ approach demonstrates that practical design, sustained partnership, and a focus on outcomes can turn a regulatory requirement into a model for lasting impact.

Image Credit: CET

The views and opinions expressed in this guest blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of ReFED.