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  Morris County
  Municipal Utilties Authority

Drought Warning in Effect as of 11/13/2024

Click here to read about drought conditions.

Transfer Station Info (Tip Fee $111.25/ton)

  • Mt. Olive Mon-Fri 7:30am-3pm; Sat 7:30am-11am
  • Parsippany Mon-Fri 7am-3pm; Sat 7:30am-11am
  • Closed Sundays and Major Holidays
  • No Rental Trucks
  • Payment by Account, Check, Credit Card. No Cash
  • Get Past Plastic
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  • To Many Reusable Bags?
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  • To Many Reusable Bags?

Food waste thrown in the garbage ends up in a landfill producing a potent greenhouse gas called methane as a by-product of its anaerobic breakdown. Methane traps heat in the atmosphere and contributes to global warming, which perpetuates food scarcity as well as environmental and health issues worldwide. Food waste is the single most common material landfilled and incinerated in the United States and represents 8% of human-generated greenhouse gas emissions each year.

It is estimated that 40% of all food in America is never consumed and 126 billion pounds of food waste is produced per year. Essential nutrients, water, and energy are being lost throughout this wasteful supply chain.

Food Waste and New Jersey

There are two primary laws regarding food waste management in New Jersey:

  1. The Food Waste Reduction Law (2017) which requires NJDEP to develop a plan to reduce food waste in New Jersey by 50 percent by 2030;
  2. The Large Generator Food Waste Recycling Law (2020), which requires certain large generators of food waste to separate and recycle it.
     

Helpful fact sheets on donation laws:

  • Date Labeling Laws
  • Liability Protections
  • Tax Incentives for Businesses
  • Feeding Food Scraps to Animals
  • CET business challenge Food Waste Restaurant Challenge Guide (nrdc.org)

Benefits of reducing food waste

  • Saves resources (food, water, energy, labor, money, etc.)
  • Reduces greenhouse gas emissions
  • Reduces methane from landfills
  • Returns nutrients to soil
  • Supports a circular economy
  • Helps increase food access

Fighting Food Waste:

Methods of Preventing Food Waste

  • Write a thorough list before grocery shopping
  • Check your pantry before writing you shopping list
  • Prioritize using perishable food items first
  • Understand date-labeling and proper food storage
  • Savethefood.com
  • Resource for meal prep (recipe & portion guides), innovative food use, and waste reduction ideas
  • Find recipes to use up scrap foods instead of wasting
  • THE SCRAPSBOOK (ikea.com)
  • ANJR food waste audits for businesses and at-home
  • Guide to Conducting Student Food Waste Audits: A Resource for Schools (epa .gov)

Food donation resources

  • Food pantries, food banks, & food rescues
    • Community Food Bank of New Jersey
    • Interfaith Food Pantry Serving Morris County
    • End Hunger NJ
    • Morris County Food Pantries, Soup Kitchens, Emergency Food Services (steu.edu)
  • More Meals Less Waste | Reducing Food Waste is Easier than You Think | New Jersey Department of Agriculture (NJDA)
  • Gardeners can visit: producepedia (ampleharvest.org)
    • Any garden produce can be donated
    • Tax deductible
    • Protected by Good Samaritan Act