Economic Impacts of Food Waste Diversion in Colorado

Food does not belong in the trash. And yet, nearly 1.04 million tons of food are thrown away in Colorado each year. Much of this wasted food could be rescued and redistributed to people in need of food assistance; what cannot be eaten should be repurposed for animal feed or compost production or otherwise recycled. Instead, 83 percent of food waste is currently being sent to landfills, where it creates the potent climate pollutant methane as it decomposes. This is not just an environmental or hunger issue; it is a missed economic opportunity. Policies that divert food waste from landfills not only reduce climate pollutants and increase food rescue but offer a host of economic benefits. 

To estimate these benefits for Colorado, a new study commissioned by NRDC looks at the potential economic impacts of five food waste diversion policy scenarios that would be gradually phased in over eight years. 

According to the study, upon full implementation, a comprehensive food waste diversion policy in Colorado could lead to:  

• 9,444 jobs created across the state
• $2.4 billion in cumulative economic activity annually
• $79 million in cumulative tax revenue annually due to supply chain impacts and economic ripple activity
• 1 million tons of food waste diverted from landfills each year
• 4.9 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent pollution avoided over the first 10 years of the policy—the same impact as taking 1 million cars off the road for a year