"Talkin' Trash" with Stacy Savage

Episode 17- Environmental News: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

This episode breaks down new U.S. stories shaping the future of zero waste, circular economy, food waste policy, and composting. If you’re tired of greenwashing and want fact-checked, policy-heavy content you can actually use in your work, this one’s for you. In this week’s show, we cover: - The Good – Maine’s bold food waste law: How Maine’s new food waste and organics disposal law fits into a fast-growing wave of state-level food waste legislation, what LD1065 actually does, and why advocates see it as a turning point for mandatory organics diversion, food rescue, and methane reduction in the U.S. - The Bad – Texas makes composting harder: Why Texas’s new compost facility siting law is being called a “gut punch” to organics recycling, how added permitting and local veto power can stall compost infrastructure, and what this means for cities, haulers, and small operators trying to keep organics out of landfills. - The Ugly – Big Food vs. state food safety laws: A deep dive into how major food companies quietly funded a “transparency” campaign that was really designed to block stronger state food safety and labeling laws, the legal fallout, and what it reveals about corporate power in our food and waste systems. You’ll learn: - Why state policy is now the main battlefield for food waste reduction and circular economy progress. - How siting rules and NIMBY politics can make or break local composting and organics programs. - What organizers, advocates, and local governments can actually do next to protect and expand zero waste infrastructure. Use this episode if you: - Work in sustainability, zero waste, composting, or food systems. - Need real-world case studies for talks, trainings, or campaigns. - Want to understand how policy fights and corporate lobbying really shape what ends up in our landfills, incinerators, and soils. 👉 If this helped you, hit subscribe, leave a comment about what’s happening in your state, and share this with someone working on food waste or composting policy. #ZeroWaste #CircularEconomy #FoodWaste #Composting #SustainabilityNews #EnvironmentalJustice #policywatch SCHEDULE: 📅 Free 30-minute business consultation: https://0waste.org/contact/ SUBSCRIBE:🗞️ Monthly Zero Waste Business Newsletter delivered to your inbox: https://info.0wastestrategies.com/newsletter 🗞️ Monthly Zero Waste Business Newsletter on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=7202724618594394112 🗞️ Substack account - @TexasTrashTalker: https://texastrashtalker.substack.com/ DOWNLOAD: 📗 New book on Kindle - 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒁𝒆𝒓𝒐 𝑾𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆 𝑭𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒚: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CW1LMW9T ✅ "9 Ways to Close the Loop" checklist: https://shorturl.at/JAvB1

20 de nov de 2025 - 7 min