Sustainable waste management entrepreneurs demonstrated their support for a new piece of legislation alongside state officials at Bright Feeds in Berlin Wednesday.
Gov. Ned Lamont was joined by CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Commissioner Katie Dykes at the food waste recycler, which processes about 450 tons of food waste per day into animal feed.
“We want to pay less for garbage, build businesses like Bright Feeds and promote sustainability,” Dykes said. “I’m proud that our department will hopefully make that vision the policy of our state.”
Proposed H.B. 6664 would prioritize source reduction, reuse, recycling and composting by creating an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging, encouraging manufacturers to make product packaging more recyclable. The bill would also establish Post-Consumer Recycling (PCR) standards for plastic bottles, raising their recyclable content to 50% by 2033.
“We believe the Governor’s legislation sends a strong message that this state is prioritizing the management of its waste streams and turning it into sustainable resources,” said Brian Paganini, vice president of Quantum Biopower in Southington, where food waste is converted into renewable natural gas.
Read the full story in the Friday print or e edition of the New Britain Herald
