This bill summary was last updated on March 9, 2025
Public hearing – February 18
This bill requires all Oregon restaurants and other facilities generating over 1000 pounds of food waste weekly (“covered entities”) to recover that waste, source it for collection, correctly label food waste containers, and arrange for the waste to be transported to an authorized facility for composting. Individuals and households are not covered by the bill.
The covered entities must report annually to the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). The reports must include an estimate of the total amount of food waste, any strategies for reducing food waste, and the methods used for disposing of the food waste. DEQ will establish a program for educating covered entities on the requirements of the law, and it is empowered to make reasonable inspections of covered entities, to ensure compliance.
The above provisions go into effect on January 1, 2027. On January 1, 2028, covered entities will be redefined as facilities generating over 500 pounds of food waste weekly, bringing more establishments under the bill’s regulations.
Another part of the bill changes food labeling requirements. It provides specific language that will be uniformly required for all food sold or offered for sale in Oregon. These are the labels indicating food quality (BEST if used or frozen by…) and food safety (USE or freeze by…). This part of the bill goes into effect on July 1, 2026.
The text in both parts of the bill makes specific changes to relevant Oregon regulations, so that they become consistent with the new law.