The act, in force from 1st July, prevents homeowners, restaurants and supermarkets from throwing away food and instead enforces a culture of composting. Residents can also collect the scraps and either drop them to a collective point, or hire a company to pick them up. The ban also includes garden material such as grass, leaves and wood.
The Agency of Natural Resources estimates that 20% of Vermont’s waste is made up of food scraps, which break down and release greenhouse gases such as methane. San Francisco has a similar operation in place, however Vermont is the first to introduce the change through legislation.
