COMPOST Act

The COMPOST Act (S 179) establishes composting as an official conservation practice under federal farm programs, making it eligible for support in initiatives like the Conservation Stewardship Program. It creates a new $200 million annual grant and loan guarantee program (2023-2032) to fund projects expanding food waste composting infrastructure, including facility construction, equipment, and community collection systems. Eligible entities include farms, local governments, schools, nonprofits, and community projects, with priority given to initiatives serving underserved areas, creating jobs with living wages, and using source-separated organic waste. The program requires projects to demonstrate food waste processing capacity, high-quality compost production, and alignment with environmental justice principles.