Sente Advocates Legislation to Recycle Food Scraps

VERNON HILLS, Ill. – Inspired by a member of the Lake County environmental community, State Rep. Carol Sente, D-Vernon Hills, is advocating for a new law that would make it easier for residents to recycle food scraps into compost material, effectively helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and ensuring a valuable resource isn’t going to waste.

“We all have a responsibility to protect our natural resources. Whether through policy changes or community initiatives, we are all in this together,” Sente said. “As Vice Chairwoman of the House Environment Committee, I am always looking for ways to use our resources in a more sustainable manner, while also exploring opportunities to create new green jobs.”

The Sente-sponsored House Bill 3132 allows counties to separate food scraps that people throw away from solid waste in order to turn them into compost. In the absence of any recycling process for food scraps, organic waste would continue to collect in landfills, decomposing over many years and producing methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Under Sente’s legislation, landfill facilities would need to report the number of cubic yards of food compost waste they currently accept in order to help identify locations throughout the state that can supply the food scrap compost. Additionally, the legislation would seek to increase the use for this organic compost for state and local commercial and residential projects that would benefit from the many advantages of food scrap compost.

Caption: State Rep. Carol Sente (left) recently met with Lisa Dobrow of Waste Management (right) at the Willow Ranch Composting facility in Romeoville in order to seek input from experts on House Bill 3132.

Sente will have an opportunity to speak with residents about this legislation and other environmental matters at her upcoming Environmental Citizens’ Advisory Committee on Monday, March 13th from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Vernon Hills Park District's Laschen Center, located at 294 Evergreen Dr. in Vernon Hills. During this meeting, Jen Walling from the Illinois Environment Council will speak about environmental initiatives - like Sente’s House Bill 3132 – and other issues of importance to the environmental community.