Food Waste Reduction in Public Schools

Representative Hugh McKean Colorado Youth Advisory Council Review Committee. The bill encourages each local education provider to adopt a policy to reduce food waste in school cafeterias and food preparation facilities (policy). The policy may address food waste diversion and aversion initiatives, including composting and share tables that permit students to return whole food or beverage items for redistribution to other students or donation to local nonprofits. The policy may address permissible food and beverage redistribution practices, food safety measures, communications with students and parents about food waste reduction efforts, and training and compensation for school personnel supervising the local education provider's implementation of the policy.

Current law establishes the Colorado circular communities enterprise (enterprise) to award grants and other funding and to provide technical assistance to certain entities throughout the state, including local governments, nonprofit and for-profit businesses, public and private schools, and institutions of higher education, that pursue a circular economy for waste management, including waste diversion and aversion. The bill requires the enterprise to consider reducing food waste by incentivizing public schools to develop and implement effective composting or share table programs.

The bill extends limited immunity from civil and criminal liability to school personnel and local education providers that supervise food and beverage redistribution pursuant to policies that include share tables.

(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)