Study: Massachusetts commercial food‑waste ban supports nearly 1,700 jobs, $390M in annual economic activity

An updated economic analysis of the state’s commercial food‑waste ban presented at MassDEP’s Solid Waste Advisory Committee meeting in June found the industry tied to collecting, processing and rescuing food material now supports nearly 1,700 jobs statewide and about $390 million in annual industry activity.

ICF, a consulting firm that produced the study, surveyed industry participants and extrapolated results to estimate sector‑level impacts. “There’s a really significant amount of economic activity that’s being driven by these organic waste organizations,” George Voigt of ICF said during the June presentation, summarizing the total result as “almost 1,700 jobs across the Commonwealth generating a $143,000,000 in labor income, a $194,000,000 in value add, and $390,000,000 in industry activity.”

The study updated a prior ICF analysis produced after the 2014 food‑waste ban and used a survey conducted between Jan. 7 and March 14, 2025, that reached 117 industry contacts and yielded 37 unique responses covering collection/hauling, processing (including composting and anaerobic digestion), food rescue/recovery, and “other” activities (manufacturing, compostable product distribution, hot meals and emergency food pantry operations). ICF used MassDEP and CET data to normalize responses before extrapolating to the broader sector.

ICF reported growth across the industry since the 2016 study, with the largest proportional increase in food rescue and recovery (a reported 93% increase in tonnage among the rescue category) and substantial growth in collection and hauling employment and revenues. The presentation noted rescue tonnage reached about 37,000 tons in 2024 and that collection and hauling and processing remain major revenue drivers. The consultants also reported increased capital investment by collection and hauling firms and many companies’ plans for additional investment.

ICF and MassDEP staff stressed methodological differences from the 2016 analysis: the current study used the Lightcast input‑output model (while the 2016 work used IMPLAN) and mapped results to NAICS sectors; ICF converted 2016 results into the Lightcast framework for comparison. The firm also broke out direct, indirect and induced economic impacts (supply‑chain and consumer spending ripple effects). The presentation included survey findings about customer types (institutions and food retailers are major sources for collection and hauling; rescue organizations rely largely on food retailers) and described barriers to reaching smaller food waste producers.

Presenters and participants discussed what the industry growth means for reducing edible food waste. John Fisher of MassDEP said food material reduction has long been a priority for the agency and noted the economic benefits of capturing food material, including job creation in hauling, processing and rescue businesses. During Q&A, attendee Janet (identified only by first name in the record) contrasted inedible food scraps and edible surpluses and asked how the reported economic gains should be weighed against the policy goal of reducing edible food waste. Voigt and other panelists noted logistical limits to donation and thresholds that make rescue pickups feasible, and they pointed to food service tracking tools used by large institutions as effective at reducing on‑site food waste.

The presentation identified operational challenges that can limit expansion: zoning constraints for processing facilities, route and vehicle limitations for rescue pickups (especially in dense streets), contamination in source‑separated streams, and outreach gaps in awareness of the ban. ICF observed that some commercial customers anticipated the 2022 reduction of the business threshold to one‑half ton and had already transitioned, moderating measured growth for some processors.

MassDEP staff said the full report and presentation will be posted on the agency’s Solid Waste Advisory Committee and food‑waste web pages, and that the department will notify the SWAC and organics subcommittee mailing lists when materials are available.