N.Y. City Tightens Food Waste Rules For Restaurants, Grocery Stores

In an effort to divert 50,000 tons of food waste from landfills, the New York City sanitation department is implementing new rules for restaurants and grocery stores on handling food waste. Businesses covered by the rules may: hire a private carter, self-transport, or process their food scraps on site for beneficial use, such as for compost; donate unsold food to a charity or food bank; sell or donate the food to a farmer for feedstock; and sell or donate meat by-products to a rendering company. Covered establishments include restaurants with at least 15,000 square feet of floor area, chain restaurants with 100 or more locations in the city, and grocery stores with at least 25,000 square feet of space. [Image Credit: © NY City Dept. of Sanitation]