§ 25-17-801 — Legislative declaration

(1) The general assembly finds and
declares that:

(a) Composting and recycling are two of the most cost-effective climate
change solutions that can be implemented;

(b) Landfilling food scraps and yard trimmings causes these organic
materials to decompose without oxygen, creating vast amounts of methane, a
greenhouse gas that is eighty-four times more potent than carbon dioxide in the
short term;

(c) Diverting these organic materials into local circular systems creates jobs
and supports the growing number of composting hauling and processing
businesses in the state;

(d) Finished compost is a valuable soil amendment that builds healthier soils
that are more resilient to drought and flooding and creates more productive
agricultural lands;

(e) To leverage the potential benefits of certified compostable bags and
products, it is vital to clearly label these products in a way that makes them
immediately and easily identifiable as certified compostable upon quick inspection
at point of sale and point of use and in a public sorting area and processing facility;

(f) Sales of falsely marketed or greenwashed food service ware and
packaging products that look like certified compostable products yet do not
compost according to the standards set by ASTM International are harmful to our
state's economy by:

(I) Creating confusion and causing undue cost burden to individual and
business consumers;

(II) Increasing cost and operational challenges for compost manufacturers;

(III) Contaminating compostable material streams; and

(IV) Reducing the value of the finished compost and sometimes making it
unmarketable;

(g) Environmental marketing claims for products marketed as compostable,
whether implicit or implied, should adhere to uniform and recognized standards for
compostability;

(h) Products marketed as compostable should be readily and easily
identifiable as complying with uniform and recognized standards; and

(i) Implementing a standardized system and verification methods may create
the ability for compost facilities to accept these products in the future.

(2) The general assembly therefore declares that it is in the public interest of
the state to establish standards for products represented, marketed, or advertised
as compostable.

Legislative History

Source: L. 2023: Entire part added, (SB 23-253), ch. 209, p. 1084, � 1, effective August 7.