CONNECTING LARGE SCALE GENERATORS AND RECYCLING MARKETS FOR FOOD RESIDUALS: A HISTORY AND REGULATORY/ECONOMIC/SOCIAL-POLITICAL CASE STUDY FOR NEW JERSEY

摘要

Recycling food residuals by direct feeding to animals, particularly pigs, continues to be a niche which works economically because it provides the farmer with free feed―indeed over time, the farmers have begun to charge a tipping fee to cover collection and other costs. Moreover, only minimal processing is required, normally cooking to a certain temperature for a specific period of time to meet the requirements of the Swine Health Protection Act, if the residuals include meat or other processed foods; no processing at all, if the residuals include only vegetative and bread or candy waste. Recently, the practice of feeding food residuals has been called into question by the potential for transmission of spongiform encephalopathies and FMD which affect animals through feeding of certain animal parts or feeding residuals containing meat without proper processing. There is a nationwide effort underway to determine whether any changes should be made to the federal regulations which govern the conditions for feeding food residuals to animals. Pelletizing, which could represent the future of animal feeding, because of its creation of a product which is readily transportable and has a long shelf life, has not been feasible due to market conditions and lack of legal infrastructure or incentives to support it. Composting exists in New Jersey largely through the tenacity of one private firm, and through its association with the NJSWPG. Like direct feeding of food residuals to animals, this requires relatively minimal processing. The food residuals feeding industry, in particular, is at the mercry of the marketplace for grains and meat prices, as well as government regulations. In order for the food residuals recycling industry to remain economically viable, there must be a well defined public policy, including mandatory recycling for the larger food residuals generators, local/county/state institutional support, and financial assistance in the form of grants and low interest loans to both generators and recyclers. The case study accounts here reflect the most innovative entrepreneurs in the state, and if they do not prevail economically, then attrition will continue, until there is no longer any food residuals recycling in New Jersey.