A big step forward in New Hampshire's efforts to reduce food waste
Food waste makes up about a quarter of the general trash that New Hampshire businesses and homes produce. (Photo by Matt Vasilogambros/Stateline)
Next month, New Hampshire launches a new law to cut food waste, and in the process eventually save landfill space and reduce the methane gas emissions that drive climate change. Other potential upsides of the Feb. 1 start for the food waste law? New sources of healthy food for pantries and shelters, fertilizer for farms, and jobs transporting, processing, and marketing the food that once just got trucked and dumped.
Under the new law, similar to those in neighboring states, facilities that create more than a ton of food waste a week will redirect that waste from landfills and incinerators to alternative management facilities that either recover edible food to feed people and animals, or use composting or anaerobic digestion to process wasted food into useable byproducts. Hospitals, colleges, restaurants, correctional facilities, stadiums, convention centers, large hotels, and big-box grocery stores are all likely contributors on the ton-a-week-plus side, but no producer of food waste will be required to transport that waste unless a management facility with adequate capacity is within 20 miles.
The law came out of the state's Solid Waste Working Group headed by Rep. Karen Ebel, a New London Democrat, as a key part of the state goal to reduce disposal of solid waste tonnage by 25% by 2030 and 45% by 2050. New Hampshire's Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) is now seeking proposals for a consultant, to be hired with the approval of the governor and Executive Council, to help determine who exactly is affected by the new law, and begin working out logistics for education, transportation, and diversion.
Even a small dent in the amount of food waste dumped in landfills makes a big difference: Food waste makes up about a quarter of the general trash that New Hampshire businesses and homes produce. In 2023, New Hampshire dumped roughly 171,785 tons of food waste, according to estimates from Michael Nork of the NHDES Solid Waste Management Bureau. In Vermont, a similar law has decreased food waste in landfills by 13%. In Massachusetts, with the most successful program in the country, one study indicated a 13.2% reduction in all landfill waste because of the law, and a 25% reduction in methane emissions.
'As New Hampshire develops a network of food waste management facilities within easy reach of the larger producers, we hope not only that landfill space will be saved and methane emissions will be reduced, but that the cost of transporting food waste from producers to management facilities will drop, saving businesses money,' said Nork of NHDES.
New England's largest grocery store chain is already operating an effective food waste diversion program across all six states. Hannaford no longer takes any food waste from its 183 stores to a landfill – decreasing landfill disposal by 65 million pounds in 2020 alone.
One boost to help food waste generators and management facilities divert food waste from landfill disposal is a $500,000 grant program appropriated by the New Hampshire Legislature. Grant funds will help with implementation of the law by providing financial assistance to increase infrastructure capacity for those who want to explore transportation operations or create or expand composting and digester sites.
Jennifer Mitchell of NHDES, who is managing the implementation and operation of the new law, said money from that grant could be available to help manage food waste by deferring costs associated with compliance of the ban. For example, potential use of the funds could go toward the purchase of a new truck for a food bank that wants to increase mobile food distribution capacity. NHDES will need to develop rules to establish this new grant program, and intends to hold listening sessions over the coming year to help inform that process.
As composting sites and digesters ramp up, and food pantry transportation replaces landfill dumping of good food, food waste producers should see not only a dramatically better outcome for their leftovers, but the potential reduction in costs from the current $100 a ton they pay to simply 'waste' food that has far better uses.
To her great credit, Gov. Kelly Ayotte has made clear her strong opposition to a proposed new mega-landfill in New Hampshire's North Country. This is great news for finally getting New Hampshire off the never-ending treadmill of landfill expansions. The launch of New Hampshire's new food-waste law will play an essential role in pivoting the Granite State away from its historic focus on waste disposal to a new, more sustainable focus on waste reduction. Our communities, environment, and economy will all benefit.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
44 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Newsom is warned of ‘criminal tax evasion' if he withholds federal taxes
The US treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, has warned California governor Gavin Newsom that he would be guilty of 'criminal tax evasion' if he withholds his state's tax payments to the federal government amid threats of a funding cut by Donald Trump. Newsom had threatened to cut tax payments to the federal government two days ago after reports that Trump was preparing huge federal funding cuts targeting Democrat-dominated California, including its state university system. 'Gavin Newsom is threatening to commit criminal tax evasion,' Bessent said in a post on X. 'His plan: defraud the American taxpayer and leave California residents on the hook for unpaid federal taxes.' Bessent continued: 'I am certain most California businesses know that failing to pay taxes owed to the Treasury constitutes tax evasion and have no intention of following the dangerous path Governor Gavin Newsom is threatening.' He described Newsom's comments as 'extremely reckless' and advised the governor to come up with a tax-cutting plan for California that mirrored Trump's federal tax cutting plan, 'instead of committing criminal tax evasion'. The treasury secretary's comments came after Newsom posted on Friday that 'Californians pay the bills for the federal government. We pay over $80 BILLION more in taxes than we get back. Maybe it's time to cut that off, Donald Trump.' The California governor linked to a CNN report that the Trump administration is preparing to cancel some federal funding for California and federal agencies had been directed to identify grants that could be withheld, including the University of California and California state university systems. In a statement on Friday, the White House spokesperson Kush Desai criticized California's energy, immigration and other positions as 'lunatic anti-energy, soft-on-crime, pro-child mutilation, and pro-sanctuary policies'. 'No taxpayer should be forced to fund the demise of our country,' Desai said, but he added that 'No final decisions, however, on any potential future action by the Administration have been made, and any discussion suggesting otherwise should be considered pure speculation.' Newsom and Trump are accustomed to a war of words, including threats to withhold funding. The administration recently cut $126m in flood prevention funding projects, and Trump has threatened 'large-scale fines' on the state after transgender athlete AB Hernandez competed in the long jump, high jump and triple jump events at the California Interscholastic Federation track and field championships. But the reported threat to cut off federal funding to California's university system appears to have pushed California officials into threats of retaliation. Soon before Newsom made his threat, California assembly speaker Robert Rivas described the rumored grant cancellations as 'unconstitutional and vindictive.' 'We're the nation's economic engine and the largest donor state, and deserve our fair share,' Rivas wrote. 'I'll use every legal and constitutional tool available to defend CA – we must look at every option, including withholding federal taxes.'
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Rhode Island should not follow Massachusetts' tax mistakes
Eight ducklings follow their mother in Nancy Schön's 'Make Way for Ducklings' statues in Boston Common. Rhode Island would be wise not to follow Massachusetts when it comes to taxing high earner, according to the Tax Foundation. (Photo by Kyle Klein/Meet Boston) Rhode Island lawmakers are debating raising the state's top income tax rate. Though billed as a tax hike on high earners, the consequences would manifest across the state's entire economy — creating a risk that Rhode Island will tax its way into uncompetitiveness. The two identical bills — H5473, sponsored by Rep. Karen Alzate, a Pawtucket Democrat, in the House and S329, sponsored by Sen. Melissa Murray, a Woonsocket Democrat, in the Senate — would raise the state's top marginal individual income tax rate from 5.99% to 8.99% on income above approximately $625,000 (in 2025 dollars), adjusted for inflation. Though structured as a surtax, this proposal effectively creates a fourth income tax bracket, and one that doubles down on the marriage penalty that already puts married couples at a disadvantage compared to single filers. It erodes whatever tax advantage Rhode Island currently has against higher-tax peers elsewhere in New England. If enacted, Rhode Island would have the eighth highest top marginal state individual income tax rate in the country (excluding the District of Columbia), up from the 14th highest currently. Millionaire's tax proposal is getting a warm reception from new R.I. Senate leadership Had these changes been in effect last year, Rhode Island would have clocked in on Tax Foundation's 2025 State Tax Competitiveness Index at 43rd overall, down from its current rank of 39th. But a poor ranking shouldn't be the only deterrent to lawmakers who are on the fence about this proposal. Small businesses would be among the biggest losers under this tax increase. In 2022, over half of Rhode Island individual income tax filers with adjusted gross income exceeding $500,000 had income or losses from a pass-through business. Such businesses are often small stores or family operations that fuel their communities' Main Streets. This tax hike would make it more difficult for businesses to stay afloat, forcing many to raise prices, lay off employees, or move out of state to escape an increasingly punitive tax climate. New investment, likewise, would be more difficult to attract since Rhode Island would no longer be a relatively tax-friendly beacon in the Northeast. Currently, Rhode Island outcompetes Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, and Vermont in tax structure, and Massachusetts' recent tax increase gives Rhode Island another opportunity to position itself as a superior competitor. Instead, proponents of this tax increase seem eager to imitate their neighbor's mistake. Massachusetts, in 2023, abandoned the state's previously enviable flat income tax by imposing a similar surtax. The impacts didn't take long to manifest. According to recent Census data, Massachusetts saw among the highest rates of net outbound migration in the country in fiscal years 2023 and 2024. And at a time when uncertainty stemming from White House orders is putting additional strain on businesses, millionaire's taxes are a strong deterrent to entrepreneurs and businesses with slim profit margins. Still, some try to say tax hikes don't matter or that this data is overblown. Some believe Massachusetts has been impervious to the adverse economic consequences states like California, New York, and Washington experienced when they raised taxes on high earners, pointing to higher-than-expected revenues from the state's new tax on high earners. But Massachusetts is not defying gravity. Years of stock market gains have boosted income for high earners across the country, and those income increases are more than enough to obscure the outmigration and reduced investment caused by the higher tax. When, inevitably, those gains subside, Massachusetts will face the realities created by its high taxes. Similarly, a report from the Institute for Policy Studies (IPS), for example, claims Massachusetts has 'seen tremendous growth in the number of people with more than $1 million in total wealth since raising taxes on higher earners.' The IPS study, unfortunately, is deeply flawed. To begin, it only looks at 2018-2022 — a period when inflation surged and incomes grew rapidly across the country (up almost 12% in nominal terms). Not to mention, a time when Massachusetts didn't have a millionaire's tax. But even conceding that overall wealth grew during that period, IPS gives no context to Massachusetts' performance, which is quite poor compared to the national average. Every state saw an increase in total millionaires after the pandemic, but Massachusetts' 36% increase from 2018-2022 was the fifth lowest in the country. Some states saw triple-digit increases. This raises the question: Why are Rhode Island lawmakers using this legislative session to try and emulate Massachusetts instead of trying to outcompete them? Rhode Island should take this opportunity to distinguish itself from the rest of New England by resisting harmful tax increases and instead reinforcing its current position as a more attractive alternative to its ultra-high-tax neighbors. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Boston Globe
3 hours ago
- Boston Globe
Driver's licenses in limbo: Government debts jeopardize thousands of Mass. drivers
The number of drivers who lost their authority to drive under these circumstances is unclear. The Registry's data didn't specify how many drivers failed to settle their debts before their licenses expired. Those who do face limited choices. No payment plans are available, and unlike drivers who have been sanctioned for dangerous driving, there are no hardship licenses. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'They're really put in an impossible situation,' said Caroline Cohn, staff attorney at the National Consumer Law Center. Advertisement This is the predicament facing Angel, 43, who drove himself into debt passing through tolls. He had no E-ZPass transponder for his car, but, he said, he never received toll bills, and later learned they were mailed to a previous address. By the time he realized he owed money, his bill was $1,247 and that would balloon to nearly $6,000 as a portion of his balance was sent to collections, and fees and penalties mounted. Related : Without a driver's license, Angel said he's been spiraling, thrust into a seemingly endless cycle of needing to work to pay off the debt, but unable to work consistently without a valid license. Advertisement 'Such a little thing can have a huge impact in your daily life,' said Angel, a former Uber driver who now relies on public transportation. (The Globe agreed to identify Angel, an East Boston resident, by his first name as requested by him and his lawyer because of his debts.) From 2020 through last year, the Registry has prohibited driver's licenses from being renewed an average of 593,580 times annually because of unpaid tolls, excise taxes, and a court fee imposed on low-income people eligible free legal representation, according to agency figures. The Registry has also blocked the renewal of motor vehicle registrations an average of 120,883 times each year between 2020 and 2024 for unpaid excise taxes and tolls. Related : Without a legal option for driving, many drivers with debt find themselves exiled from the job market and unable to pay off the debts to restore their licenses or risk further jeopardy by driving illegally, critics said. Their earning options are greatly diminished because they cannot commute by car, perform driving-related job functions, or use that form of identification, advocates said. State Senator Julian Cyr, a Cape Cod Democrat, is pushing a bill that would limit the Registry's authority to impose sanctions on driver's licenses and vehicle registrations triggered by state taxes and certain fines. The bill, which is backed by state Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell, would let drivers seek to have their fees waived or reduced based on financial hardship, and would direct the Registry to send bill payment reminders by email and text message. Advertisement The Registry would keep its authority to suspend driver's licenses for dangerous driving, operating under the influence of alcohol, and repeated unsafe driving infractions, according to bill advocates. Related : 'There is a real cycle of debt and legal entrapment,' Cyr said. 'We need to catch up to a number of states who have already reformed or eliminated debt-based license suspensions.' In a statement, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation said the law permitting the Registry to prohibit drivers with government debts from renewing their licenses has been in place since 1992. The assessments that can trigger the sanctions help to fund government services, including local aid to communities and highway maintenance, the agency said. 'MassDOT shares concerns about the fairness of the program and is open to discussions with our partners in the Legislature on any changes that could be made to minimize harm to people,' the statement said. Related : Massachusetts is out of step with other states that have limited or eliminated the government's authority to restrict driving because of debt, according to the Free to Drive campaign, a national coalition of organizations that favor reforms. Twenty-six states plus the District of Columbia have implemented changes to end or reduce restrictions for driver's licenses because of unpaid debts. Kristen Bor-Zale, a staff attorney at Greater Boston Legal Services who represents Angel, said the agency has been approached by other clients facing setbacks similar to his. According to a Globe review of RMV data, the agency placed licensees in non-renewal status more than 1.1 million times during a four-year period because of unpaid tolls. There are no options for payment plans or to petition for the debt to be reduced or waived; and legal protections that shield people receiving public benefits from being forced to pay consumer debts do not apply, Bor-Zale said. Advertisement By contrast, drivers who have been sanctioned for drunken-driving, driving under the influence of drugs, or have been designated as 'habitual traffic offenders' can apply Driving is vital for Massachusetts workers, with 70 percent commuting by vehicle to their jobs, 'If they can't legally drive they are getting cut out of the economy,' Bor-Zale said. 'It's pushing people to have to make very stark choices.' Another one of Bor-Zale's clients, Renata, said the Registry blocked her from renewing her license two years ago, claiming she owed more than $6,500 for tolls. The Hudson resident, who also asked that her last name be withheld because of her debts, said she had difficulty getting accurate information about her bill and was directed to debt collection companies. She accrued some of the debt, she said, while she was receiving cancer treatment and couldn't work. Renata lost her license because of unpaid tolls. Suzanne Kreiter/Globe Staff 'I can't pay this bill. It was [worth] more than my car,' she said. Without a valid license, Renata, a licensed cosmetologist and chaplain for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said her daily life came to a standstill. Renata said her trips into the city for medical appointments are now arduous, requiring hours of travel on local buses, commuter rail, and then an Uber or subway trip. 'It's all the stress,' she said. Jucemar Pereira, 72, said he returned to Brazil last year to live with his daughter for a time because he couldn't renew his license over unpaid tolls. Advertisement 'Not having a driver's license was certainly a motivation,' Pereira said through a Portuguese interpreter from his residence in Brazil. 'My entire life relies on this … document,' said Pereira, a naturalized US citizen who had lived in Massachusetts for about 25 years. A working group of the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, a trade group for state driver's licensing agencies, wrote in a 2021 report that 'using a driver's license suspension for nonhighway safety violations should be avoided.' The Fines and Fees Justice Center, a national organization behind the Free to Drive campaign, has highlighted research from Yet there is concern about how potential changes could impact revenue collections. Adam Chapdelaine, executive director of the Massachusetts Municipal Association, a nonprofit organization that represents municipal governments, said communities rely on the revenue from the Registry's fines to deliver 'essential services.' 'While we understand the intent of the legislation, we wouldn't support provisions that would make it harder to collect essential sources of municipal revenue,' he said in a statement. Meanwhile, Renata is working on paying off her debts. In March, the Registry agreed to reinstate her license but placed her vehicle registration in nonrenewal, giving her until the end of the month to pay about $3,400. She said she doesn't know how she's going find the money. 'This is very tough,' she said. 'I just need my life back.' Advertisement This story was produced by the Globe's team, which covers the racial wealth gap in Greater Boston. You can sign up for the newsletter . Laura Crimaldi can be reached at
