NO TIME TO Waste Act);
Sponsored By: Senator Christopher Coons
Introduced
Summary
Cut food loss and waste by creating a new USDA Office of Food Loss and Waste and directing grants, regional coordinators, public-private partnerships, and a national education campaign to reach a 50% reduction by 2030.
Show full summary
- Households: A national education campaign would teach date-label meanings, food storage and composting, and promote foods made from surplus ingredients to help consumers waste less.
- State and Tribal governments: The bill would fund data-collection grants and a block grant program to build recovery infrastructure and model local policies, with a 10% match for data grants and a 50% match required for public-private partnership grants.
- Producers, businesses, and recovery organizations: Regional coordinators and grant programs would support on-farm loss research, temperature-controlled storage, real-time surplus-matching technology, and make federal contractors report required actions on food donation and waste prevention.
*If enacted, the bill would authorize about $11.5 million per year from 2026–2030, roughly $57.5 million total, adding new federal spending.*
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
National food waste education campaign
If enacted, the federal government would run a national food waste education and awareness campaign. The campaign would teach food storage, composting, date‑labeling, and the difference between freshness and safety, and would include pilots and audience research. It is authorized $2,000,000 for each fiscal year 2026 through 2030.
New food-waste reporting for contractors
If enacted, federal contractors would have to report, starting 180 days after enactment, on actions to prevent and reduce food loss and waste and on food donated under their contracts. Executive agencies would send Congress biennial reports summarizing those contractor reports.
Grants for food recovery and pilots
If enacted, USDA would run several grant programs to help states, Tribes, and local groups build food recovery infrastructure and test policies. That includes block grants for storage and cold distribution, public‑private partnership grants (with a required 50% match), data‑collection grants (up to 3 years with a 10% match), and expanded eligibility for composting pilots. The bill authorizes modest annual funding for these grant programs.
USDA office, coordinators, and research
If enacted, USDA would create an Office of Food Loss and Waste to lead research and coordination. The office would hire regional coordinators to help recover surplus food and set research priorities to reduce on-farm and supply-chain loss. The Secretary would report progress toward a 50% reduction by 2030 and hold regular meetings with EPA and FDA. The authorization includes modest annual funding for these activities.
Clear rules for upcycled food products
If enacted, the bill would define "upcycled food product" and related terms. The definition says upcycled foods are made from surplus or byproducts that otherwise would not go to people, use verifiable upstream data, and have a positive environmental impact. The definitions would apply to program eligibility and reporting.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Christopher Coons
DE • D
Cosponsors
Jerry Moran
KS • R
Sponsored 4/9/2025
Andy Kim
NJ • D
Sponsored 1/27/2026
Angela Alsobrooks
MD • D
Sponsored 3/23/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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