Food waste has become a hot topic in the United States, sparking extensive discussions about its growing implications. While waste reduction efforts have grown, there is considerable variation in how food waste is handled across the country, with each state and city facing its own challenges, regulations, and community initiatives.
With 55 million pounds of food wasted in Chicago every month, it’s clear that the Windy City is among the places that require significant action to improve sustainability.
To better understand food waste in Chicago, this article explores local food waste regulations and provides comprehensive information on food waste management for residents, businesses, and the community.
Key Takeaways
- Chicago has fallen behind in recycling efforts when compared to other more sustainable cities, which may be due to limited awareness and education, inadequate infrastructure and food waste policies, and essentially, a lack of commitment and resources dedicated to recycling efforts.
- While there are no organic waste bans or waste recycling laws currently in place in Illinois, various bills and initiatives have been introduced to raise awareness and reduce the impact of food waste.
- In 2011, a valuable initiative was announced that allocated $3.2 million to assist local governments, businesses, and other public and private sector entities in enhancing their recycling efforts.
- Chicago’s Community Composting Pilot Program is a promising approach comprising six community gardens managed by compost leaders. These leaders are provided with workshops and ongoing technical support to help reduce landfill use and promote composting within local neighborhoods.
- Chicago’s citywide Food Scrap Drop-Off Program has 17 locations around the city where residents can drop off food scraps for free. This program helps reduce household food waste in Chicago and encourages recycling efforts.
Food Waste Statistics in Chicago, IL
Every year, nineteen million tons of waste are landfilled in Illinois, with food waste acting as the largest single waste stream. Overall, the Illinois Environmental Council estimates that organic waste makes up 20% of the state’s waste stream, with food scraps contributing 23%. Of this, only 13% of organic waste and 1% of food scraps are diverted from landfills.
In Chicago, 522,510 tons of organic waste are estimated to be generated every year, including 245,260 tons from single-family residences, 81,250 tons from multi-family residences, and 196,000 tons from industrial, commercial, and institutional sectors.
In 2019, the recycling rate in Chicago was 8.28%, a shockingly low percentage compared to the national recycling rate of 32.1 percent. While this food waste statistic includes materials other than organic waste, it gives us an insight into the lack of recycling efforts throughout the city.
With one in five Chicago households facing food insecurity, improved waste management and donation efforts can help provide food to those in need and extend the lifecycle of valuable resources.
Local Food Waste Regulations
Food waste laws in the U.S. play a critical role in raising awareness, reducing landfill use, and encouraging sustainability practices. There are multiple federal regulations that impact food waste management, such as the Food Recovery Act, which provides funding and establishes requirements to reduce food waste, and the EPA’s Food Recovery Hierarchy, which prioritizes actions organizations can take to prevent and divert wasted food.
These federal guidelines influence state and local policies, inspiring additional initiatives to drive waste management efforts. As we’ll see below, Illinois and Chicago have their own strategies to address food waste, including community-driven approaches.
State Laws on Food Waste
As mentioned, food waste state by state varies largely, meaning that each state has different laws, resources, and programs available.
Unfortunately, in Illinois, there are no organic waste bans or waste recycling laws currently in place. That said, many bills have been introduced to raise awareness and reduce the impact of food waste. In 2024 alone, multiple bills have been introduced, including:
- Senate Bill 2876: The Senate Bill 2876 requires event facilities with a maximum occupancy of at least 3,500 people to provide recycling and composting services. This includes the separation and transfer of recyclable materials and the composting of organic waste in counties with composting facilities.
- Senate Bill 2816: The Senate Bill 2816 requires the source separation and recycling of organics for large producers. It also establishes statewide goals of reducing organic waste sent to landfills and requires county solid waste management plans to include compost programs for source-separated organics.
In addition, in 2011, a valuable initiative was announced, allocating $3.2 million to assist local governments, businesses, and other public and private sector entities in enhancing their recycling efforts. This initiative is made up of four core programs, including:
- Illinois Recycling Grants Program: This program provides matching grants to assist local governments and businesses in funding traditional recycling.
- Recycling Expansion and Modernization Program: This program provides matching grants to Illinois businesses to accomplish recycling market expansion and waste reduction goals.
- Food Scrap Composting Revitalization & Advancement Program: This program funds projects to advance Illinois’ food scrap composting infrastructure.
- The Zero Waste Schools Program: This program provides educational and technical assistance about zero waste programs and practices to Illinois schools.
Director Ribley discusses the program, saying, “This funding will help public and private sector entities across the state increase their recycling efforts, helping them save on energy and reduce waste, while also creating new ‘green sector’ jobs, which will help fuel our economic growth.”
Chicago City Regulations
To address food waste in Chicago, multiple initiatives have been implemented. Of these, the Community Composting Pilot Program is a promising approach that consists of six community gardens. To support its goal of diverting food waste from landfills and using compost within local neighborhoods, compost leaders are provided with workshops and ongoing technical support.
Another great program is Chicago’s citywide Food Scrap Drop-Off Program, which has 17 locations around the city where residents can drop off food scraps for free. To participate, residents must complete a sign-up form for a nearby drop-off location, collect their food scraps in sealed containers, and bring them to the designated drop-off sites.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson says, “As we bring composting options to all Chicago residents, we can reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions that occur when organic food material decomposes in a landfill, return organic materials to the earth, and most importantly, create healthier communities across our great city.”
All these initiatives require community participation for large-scale change. To support these efforts, the Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation plays a crucial role in promoting sustainability efforts, supporting various initiatives to encourage recycling within the city.
How to Manage Food Waste in Chicago
With national sustainability efforts on the rise, households and businesses have access to various waste management approaches, with composting being a popular choice for many. There are several reasons why composting efforts have increased; in addition to diverting food from landfills and creating a nutrient-rich soil amendment that improves plant health, composting is a flexible option that can be easily implemented by households, small businesses, and large organizations alike.
However, composting isn’t the only option available. Strategies like anaerobic digestion, donation, and upcycling are all worth exploring. Keep reading to see how residents and businesses are approaching food waste in Chicago.
Guidelines for Residents
To address household food waste, there are various strategies that families can explore, including:
- Reducing food waste at the source: Food waste reduction should always be the number one priority for businesses and households alike. To prevent household waste, families can implement strategies such as meal planning, avoiding bulk purchases, improving storage methods, controlling portion sizes, and getting creative with leftover ingredients.
- Donating surplus food: Donations help bridge the gap between food waste in Chicago and hunger in local communities. To find local food pantries and food programs near you, click here.
- Getting involved in composting programs: Families can create their own compost pile at home, or they can get involved in community initiatives, such as Chicago’s Food Scrap Drop-Off Program. With 17 locations around the city, click here to see which one is closest to you.
Guidelines for Businesses
Businesses that want to improve sustainability efforts should consider the following tips:
- Perform a food waste audit: Businesses must clearly understand their waste generation in order to create a tailored reduction strategy. By conducting a food waste audit, you can identify waste sources and quantities, gaining valuable insight into inefficiencies and areas for improvement.
- Donate surplus food: In addition to helping their community, businesses that donate food are eligible for food waste tax deductions, adding an extra financial incentive to waste reduction efforts. Since companies must comply with certain requirements to gain tax incentives, make sure to stay informed on the criteria and necessary documentation.
- Explore waste management options: There are many waste management approaches that businesses can consider, including composting, anaerobic digestion, and turning food into animal feed. When choosing the right approach for your business, you should consider space and budget requirements.
- Train staff: All staff should be aware of company-wide changes, whether it’s new reduction efforts, how to separate organic waste, or their new role in waste management initiatives. This training may include workshops, an introduction to advanced technologies and processes, and hands-on demonstrations, depending on your unique requirements.
- Partner with a waste management company: Organic waste management companies like Shapiro help businesses create tailored approaches to food waste. By having an experienced partner, you can access innovative solutions that don’t interfere with everyday operations.
Food Waste Standards and Requirements in Chicago
To get an idea of what’s accepted and not accepted by many composting programs, here are the unique requirements of Chicago’s Food Scrap Drop-Off Program.
Accepted Foods
- Fruit and vegetable scraps
- Cooked food
- Meat, fish, bones
- Dairy (cheese and yogurt)
- Eggshells
- Bread and grains
- Coffee grounds and tea leaves (remove filters)
Not Accepted Foods
- Bags of any kind (including compostable bags)
- Pet waste
- Napkins or paper
- Foodware or packaging
- Yard waste
- Pizza boxes
- Liquids
- Produce stickers
- Rubber bands
*It’s important to note that the requirements of each program may vary significantly.
The Struggle to Recycle Food Waste in Chicago
Chicago has fallen behind in recycling efforts when compared to other more sustainable cities. There are multiple reasons why this could be happening, including limited awareness and education, inadequate infrastructure and food waste policies, and essentially, a lack of commitment and resources dedicated to recycling efforts.
To address these issues, the city has implemented various programs, many of which facilitate composting food waste, such as food waste drop-off locations and community pilot programs.
With time, we hope to see increased policies that mandate participation, enhance educational outreach, and provide greater infrastructure support.
Food Waste Apps in Chicago
Food waste apps have become an essential tool in sustainability efforts, with growing popularity among households and businesses. From grocery shopping apps to food waste tracking apps, new applications can now be utilized to streamline processes along the supply chain and manage waste more effectively.
Too Good to Go is a great example of a successful food waste app in Chicago. This app connects users to restaurants and stores that have surplus food, enabling users to buy food products at a discounted price while helping businesses improve their sustainability and profitability.
This is just one of the many applications that businesses can explore. There are numerous ways that companies can leverage apps to reduce large-scale waste, such as accessing real-time inventory updates, facilitating food donations, and ultimately contributing to a more efficient and environmentally friendly waste management system.
The Bottom Line
As businesses continue to learn the importance of waste reduction, we hope to see an increase in widespread sustainability efforts. To facilitate company-wide changes, businesses can partner with an organic waste management company to optimize results.
At Shapiro, we provide a range of commercial food waste management services, including farm waste disposal, commercial food waste collection, disposal, recycling, and upcycling. Tell us what your unique challenges and goals are, and we’ll create a tailored solution that helps you reduce food waste in Chicago.
Contact us today to learn more about our services.
Baily Ramsey, an accomplished marketing specialist, brings a unique blend of anthropological insight and marketing finesse to the digital landscape. Specializing in educational content creation, she creates content for various industries, with a particular interest in environmental initiatives.
