WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Representatives Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) and Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) reintroduced today the bipartisan, bicameral New Opportunities for Technological Innovation, Mitigation, and Education To Overcome Waste, or NO TIME TO Waste Act. The bill would reduce food loss and waste in the United States in an effort to increase food security, foster productivity, promote resource and energy conservation, and address climate change. This reintroduction comes during National Food Waste Prevention Week (April 7-13) to raise awareness around the issue of food waste and highlight bipartisan opportunities to find solutions.

“Food waste exacerbates hunger, pollutes the environment, and undercuts our economy,” said Senator Coons. “As we celebrate National Food Waste Prevention Week, I’m proud to reintroduce this bipartisan, bicameral bill that takes commonsense steps to tackle food waste. Together, we can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve health outcomes, and ensure food reaches the communities across Delaware and the nation who need it most.”

“Kansas is the breadbasket of the country, helping feed the nation and the world,” said Senator Moran. “However, nearly 40 percent of food produced in the U.S. goes to waste while many Americans face hunger and food shortages. This legislation would require collaboration between agencies to help cut food waste and support partnerships to feed those in need.”

“With food insecurity on the rise across the country and the cost of groceries continuing to rise, it’s more important than ever that we develop whole-of-government solutions and strategies to prevent food loss and waste, encourage greater food recovery, and ensure that no one in this country goes hungry. This bill is a big step in the right direction,” said Congresswoman Pingree, co-founder of the bipartisan Food Recovery Caucus and member of the House Agriculture Committee. “Our NO TIME TO Waste Act would strengthen the federal government’s approach to food loss by tackling waste in every step of our food system—from prevention research to composting and education programs. Food waste isn’t just an economic or environmental issue; it’s a moral one—and it’s long past time that we address it.”

“I’m proud to join Congresswoman Pingree and Senators Coons and Moran in reintroducing the bipartisan, bicameral NO TIME TO Waste Act to cut food waste and fight hunger. From Rockland to Putnam to Westchester, I’ve seen local food banks and community groups doing incredible work—and this bill gives them the tools, funding, and federal support they need to do even more,” said Congressman Lawler (NY-17).

Each year, 30 to 40% of the U.S. food supply is lost or wasted—133 billion pounds. Meanwhile, 47 million Americans go hungry, including 7 million children, often in rural communities. In the United States, food is the single largest category of material placed in municipal landfills, generating methane gas as it decomposes, a greenhouse gas approximately 28% more potent than carbon dioxide. In response, the United States committed in the 2018 Farm Bill to cut food loss and waste (FLW) in half by the year 2030 through the U.S. 2030 Food Loss and Waste Reduction Goal, the first-ever domestic goal to reduce FLW.

Specifically, the NO TIME TO Waste Act would: 

  • Improve federal coordination by formally authorizing the existence of collaboration between the USDA, EPA, and FDA to reduce FLW by 50% by 2030
  • Establish an Office of Food Loss and Waste at USDA to support the role of the Food Loss and Waste Liaison, strengthen research on FLW and new technologies, and quantify the impact of current FLW policies on greenhouse gas emissions
  • Strengthen current USDA research programs to include FLW as part of their priorities and support states’ efforts to assist local food recovery infrastructure and coordination
  • Launch a national public awareness and education campaign to educate households on practical ways to reduce waste at home, the impacts of FLW, methods for preserving and storing foods, tips for identifying whether food is still safe and edible, and developing educational materials

The NO TIME TO Waste Act is endorsed by the Zero Food Waste Coalition (Natural Resources Defense Council, Harvard Food Law and Policy Clinic, World Wildlife Fund, ReFED), Upcycled Food Association, Plastic Free Delaware/Zero Waste First State, Bread for the World, and Health Care Without Harm.

“Food waste is a systemwide problem that requires systemwide action to solve, said Renee Albrecht, Co-Chair Federal Working Group, Zero Food Waste Coalition. “The bipartisan NO TIME TO Waste Act provides commonsense solutions to tackle waste throughout the food system and deliver environmental, social, and economic benefits.” 

"With the massive scale of wasted food comes tremendous opportunity for transformative bipartisan food systems change," said Amanda Oenbring, CEO, Upcycled Food Association. "EPA's Food Waste Scale identifies upcycling as a 'most-preferred' pathway alongside donation to managing wasted food because it displaces the need for additional food production while ensuring food reaches its highest and best use in the human food system. The NO TIME TO Waste Act will increase collaboration support for the entrepreneurs and innovators rescuing nutrition from half of food surplus that is excess and byproducts while educating consumers about the value these ingredients and products bring to our tables. In doing so we can scale efforts to stop food waste and realize greater social, economic and environmental benefits across the US and beyond."

“Plastic Free Delaware (aka Zero Waste First State) applauds our Delaware Senator Coons, and Senator Moran, for pursuing the goals inherent in the NO TIME TO Waste Act,” said Dee Durham, Plastic Free Delaware/Zero Waste First State. “The Act would bolster our efforts on the ground in Delaware to reduce food waste and divert organics from Delaware’s landfills, saving Delawareans money, conserving resources, and reducing emissions of methane which is a significant climate change component.”

A one-pager is available here. 

You can read the full text of the bill here.