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Washington State Grocery Stores Adapt to New Organic Waste Rules

Posted on by darion

Marlene’s Market in Federal Way is one of the food businesses taking an innovative approach to reducing organic waste after new regulations went into effect in January. Starting in January 2024, Federal Way businesses that produce at least eight cubic yards of organic material per week must collect it and send it to an appropriate type of processing facility. Organic waste refers to food and yard scraps and must be processed differently than recycling or garbage.

Marlene’s has launched a community composting system for deli and vegetable produce — rotting fruits, vegetables and deli scraps are bagged and then sold for 99 cents a pound, according to a representative from WM, a company serving Federal Way.

This change was made as part of House Bill 1799, which includes more than 20 legal changes related to methane emissions in Washington state. A February 15, 2023 presentation by Sound Cities Association and Cedar Grove outlined the history of the bill and invited speakers who have experienced similar policy and practice changes regarding organic waste disposal in their communities.

To read the full story, visit https://www.federalwaymirror.com/business/grocery-stores-adapt-to-new-organic-waste-regulations/.
By Keelin Everly-Lang, Federal Way Mirror
Photo by Scott Warman on Unsplash