A California bill requiring food establishments to adhere to waste franchise agreements for organics — AB 2959 — is dead for the year, according to multiple sources. Lawmakers failed to bring the bill for a vote last week in the state Senate Environmental Quality Committee, ending movement for the remainder of the session. Food retailers said the bill would hinder their ability to send organic waste for use as livestock feed and raised concerns that large haulers with franchise agreements would instead take the material straight to landfills. Along with farming and ranching associations, their opposition helped make the bill too controversial for consideration in the legislative session, truncated due to the pandemic. More >>
