Nationwide, between 30-40% of all food and beverages are wasted and in King County, about 17% of what goes to the Cedar Hills Regional Landfill is food, much of it still edible. All that food emits methane, a potent greenhouse gas, as it breaks down. The EPA estimates that over half of greenhouse gas emissions from landfills come from food waste.
The impacts of climate change in Washington are record-breaking heat, devastating wildfires, coastline erosion from sea-level rise, worsening drought conditions, and in King County, larger and more frequent river floods. In response to these risks to livelihoods and economies, the adoption of sustainable food management practices is urgently needed interventions to mitigate the effects of climate change.
On June 23 – 25, over 800 people gathered in Seattle to address food waste reduction at the 2025 ReFED Food Waste Solutions Summit. The event brought together a range of food systems leaders across the country who shared their insights and expertise, having discussions and developing actionable takeaways for addressing high amounts of food waste nationwide.
“It was a great opportunity to connect with others and see who is being innovative, and who has the funds and flexibility to try out the new ideas for waste management in our local food system,” said Kelsey Bailey, King County Solid Waste Division Organics Circular Economy project manager.
Through breakout sessions, workshops, and keynote speeches, local food systems leaders were able to learn from one another while discussing current initiatives to prevent and reduce organic waste.
The summit provided a timely platform to showcase and align with the work of King County Solid Waste Division, which has made organic waste reduction a central focus of its Re+ initiative – a road map to keeping valuable materials out of the landfill and reducing climate impacts. The Division is working to divert food and organic waste from landfills through targeted efforts such as:
- Expanding curbside food and yard waste collection for residents throughout the county. New strategies will focus on cities and unincorporated areas with lower subscription rates to expand residential organics services.
- Supporting local businesses, community organizations, and cities that work to reduce food waste and food rescue through multiple Re+ grant programs.
- Conducting community outreach to share simple tips and actions with the public to help them waste less food and save more money.
These actions are grounded in the mandates set forth in a series of Organics Managements Laws passed by the Washington State Legislature in 2022, 2024, and 2025 as part of a growing sense of urgency surrounding food waste. The Organics Management Laws aim to divert organic materials away from landfills through prevention, food rescue, and organics management facilities; reduce methane emissions from the decomposition of landfilled food waste; and to support the compost market. SWD’s efforts seek to help local businesses divert food waste from the landfill and comply with the Organics Management Laws by providing technical assistance and resources to set up organics service and donate edible food.
As of 2023, 47% of food waste generated in King County (excluding Seattle) was composted and the programs geared towards the recycling, composting, and reuse of organic material help support local markets for organics and soil amendments. The projects funded through Re+ Circular Economy Grants also support local agriculture and horticulture initiatives throughout the county.
In addition to local government efforts, the establishment of the Pacific Coast Food Waste Collaborative seeks to cut food waste in half by 2030 through the Pacific Coast Food Waste Commitment, a network of public-private partnerships that are all working collaboratively to prevent and reduce food waste along the West Coast. Seattle and King County are Jurisdiction Partners of the PCFWC, offering local expertise to help launch tailored, meaningful projects that have resulted in significant reductions in retail food waste across our region.
Gatherings like ReFED are important opportunities for food systems leaders to both reflect on and envision food waste solutions in a continuously shifting environmental and political climate. While progress has been made through the Re+ Initiative, the Organics Management Laws, and coalitions like the PCFWC, food systems stakeholders are continuing to develop novel ways to achieve King County’s zero-waste goals.
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