06-03-2025
Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley introduces bill to reduce food waste
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) — A new bipartisan bill co-sponsored by Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley and Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin aims to reduce food waste in the U.S.
In a press release sent out Wednesday, Grassley's office announced the Reduce Food Loss and Waste Act. The bill would create a 'Food Loss and Waste Reduction Certification' and direct the USDA to make a list of requirements businesses would have to meet to earn it, along with a verification process to ensure requirements are met and a label certified businesses could display.
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According to Mark Nook, president of the University of Northern Iowa, 22% of all waste sent to Iowa landfills is food.
And on the national level, more than $440 billion is spent each year on producing and then disposing of food that is never consumed or sold, the press release from Grassley's office states. According to the EPA, disposing of that unused food also uses as much water as 50 million homes each year.
The Natural Resources Defense Council adds that if just one-third of food waste was saved from disposal, it could feed the 47 million Americans (including 14 million children) who are suffering from food insecurity.
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