Waste_Content Page_Sustainable Management of Food

Understanding Sustainable Management of Food

The DNR's 2020-2021 Statewide Waste Characterization Study found that wasted food and food scraps made up 20% of trash going to Wisconsin landfills. This amounts to approximately 854,000 tons annually, or 294 pounds per person, in Wisconsin during the study period. The study estimated that more than three-quarters of this food could have been consumed by people. When food goes in the trash, so do resources, time and money.

Sustainable Management Of Food

Through the sustainable management of food, we can conserve resources, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, help businesses and consumers save money, and provide access to food for those who do not have enough to eat. The goal is to reduce wasted food and its associated impacts over the entire life cycle, starting with using natural resources, manufacturing, sales and consumption and ending with decisions on recovery or final disposal.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has published the Wasted Food Scale, which prioritizes actions. Pathways are based on the findings of its 2023 report "From Field to Bin: The Environmental Impacts of U.S. Food Waste Management Pathways."

EPA's Wasted Food Scale shows methods of reducing wasted food from most to least preferred.
EPA's Wasted Food Scale shows methods of reducing wasted food from most to least preferred. Photo Credit: EPA

Prevent Food Waste

Preventing food from going to waste is the most environmentally beneficial option on the Wasted Food Scale. When food is wasted, all the resources that went into producing, processing, distributing and preparing the food are wasted too. Plus, preventing food waste can save consumers money. A 2025 study from the EPA found that the cost of food waste to each U.S. consumer is $728 per year.

For information on preventing food waste and ways to divert it from landfills, review the following:

Food Rescue And Donation

Rescuing and donating wholesome surplus food is one of the most preferred pathways because it ensures that food and the resources used to produce it are not wasted. Most food donations come from higher up the food supply chain, such as from farmers, food manufacturers, distributors, or retailers. But schools, community organizations, and individuals can also make a difference by collecting and donating unspoiled, healthy food or participating in local food rescue efforts. By donating food, we're feeding people, not landfills, supporting local communities, and saving all the resources that went into producing that food from going to waste.

Food Donation Tax Incentives and Laws

The federal government provides tax deductions to incentivize businesses to donate food. In addition, donating food and grocery products can help companies reduce disposal costs.

Both state and federal laws protect food donors from liability. The federal 1996 Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act and the Food Donation Improvement Act of 2021 support donating food and groceries for distribution to those in need. The law protects donors from civil and criminal liability. If they donate a fit and wholesome product in good faith, they won't be held responsible if it later harms someone.

Wisconsin law, s. 895.51, Wis. Stats., also provides protection to any person engaged in the processing, distribution or sale of food products, for-profit or not-for-profit, who donates or sells qualified food to a charitable organization or food distribution service. The person would be immune from civil liability for the death of or injury to any individual caused by the qualified food donated or sold by the person.

Upcycle

Upcycled foods are made from ingredients that would otherwise have ended up in a food waste destination. Upcycling is common sense because it makes the most of the food. Examples of upcycling include using misshapen or bruised fruit to produce jams, jellies or kombucha.

Turning Wasted Food Into Animal Feed

Food scraps and food processing waste may have the potential to be turned into animal feed. The food nourishes animals and diverts it away from landfills. Examples of this happening in Wisconsin include the use of brewery and distillery spent grain for livestock feed. However, not all food waste is suitable for conversion to animal feed.

Using edible, human food products or food processing waste as animal feed requires a Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) commercial feed license.

Compost

When we compost our wasted food and scraps and use the compost produced, we return the valuable nutrients and carbon contained in those materials back to the soil. Composting also extends landfill life by diverting organic materials and protects the climate by reducing landfill methane emissions.

When organic matter like food waste decomposes during composting, it undergoes aerobic decomposition, meaning that it's broken down by microorganisms that require oxygen. That's why compost needs to be turned occasionally to get enough oxygen into the pile and keep the microorganisms alive.

When organic matter goes to a landfill, it gets buried under other trash, cutting off a regular supply of oxygen. The waste then undergoes anaerobic decomposition, being broken down by organisms that can live without free-flowing oxygen. During anaerobic decomposition, these particular microorganisms create methane gas as a by-product.

Although most modern landfills have methane capture systems, they do not capture all of the gas. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, landfills are the third-largest source of human-generated methane emissions in the United States. In 2020, the greenhouse gas emissions from landfilled food waste in the U.S. were equivalent to the annual emissions of 7 million homes' energy use.

When composting is done correctly, methane emissions are negligible compared to the significant amounts produced by landfills.

For information on composting and the environmental value of using compost, review the following:

For information on food scrap composting, visit the Composting Rules and Regulations in Wisconsin webpage and open the "Food scraps" tab.

Anaerobic Digestion With Energy Recovery & Beneficial Use Of Digestate

Anaerobic digestion is a process where microorganisms break down organic (carbon-based) materials, such as waste food, in the absence of oxygen. The anaerobic digester may be a stand-alone digester that primarily processes wasted food, an on-farm digester that co-digests food waste with manures or a digester at a water resource recovery facility that co-digests food waste with wastewater solids.

Anaerobic digestion generates biogas, which can be a source of renewable energy. It also produces digestate or biosolids, nutrient-rich products that can be used beneficially, for example as fertilizer, soil amendment or animal bedding. When the digester is located at a water resource recovery facility, the final product is called biosolids. Digestate and biosolids can be treated in a variety of ways prior to being applied to land, for example, by composting. The use of digestate and biosolids on soils can offset the need for synthetic fertilizers and enhance soil health.

Facilities interested in anaerobic digestion of food waste should consult a DNR Solid Waste staff member for help determining the proper permitting authority. 

Apply to the Land

Wasted food and by-products from the food manufacturing and processing sector may be eligible for field application. The benefits and impacts of land application of food processing waste streams can vary widely based on the composition of the wasted food. 

Prior to land spreading, interested facilities can find general information on permit eligibility, permits and requirements at Wisconsin DNR Wastewater General Permits (see “Landspreading").

Wisconsin Is Taking Action

In 2023, the DNR received a federal grant to evaluate Wisconsin's food waste landscape, develop a plan and provide technical assistance and services. These activities support Wisconsin's goals to reduce the tons of food waste disposed of in landfills on a per-capita basis by half by 2030, based on 2020 levels. This also backs the National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste and Recycling Organics, which is set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Management Plan and Technical Assistance

The DNR has contracted with HDR, Inc., to perform a statewide food waste management evaluation. The project's goal is to provide information to create a Wisconsin Food Waste Management Plan. The DNR also plans to contract with a non-regulatory group. The group will offer technical assistance and services for projects focused on food waste.