Maine Launched Wasted Food Prevention Week

Governor Janet Mills declared the week to help the state reach its goal of halving annual food waste by 2030.

Updated on Oct. 1, 2026 in Organic Food

Maine Launched Wasted Food Prevention Week

Live Poll

Do you actively manage your household food waste through composting or strategic shopping?

Governor Janet Mills has officially proclaimed Maine Wasted Food Prevention Week to address the state's significant food waste output. The initiative highlights efforts to divert organic material from landfills to combat climate change.

Why it matters

When food decomposes in landfills, it generates methane, a greenhouse gas that is 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Reducing this waste is a primary strategy for Maine to lower its environmental footprint.

Maine generates 361,000 tons of food waste annually, with a state goal to cut that figure by 50% by 2030. Methane produced from decomposing organic matter in landfills is 80 times more potent than carbon dioxide over one year.

The players

Janet Mills

Janet Mills is the Governor of Maine who officially proclaimed the inaugural Wasted Food Prevention Week.

Hannaford Supermarkets

Hannaford Supermarkets is a grocery chain that partners with Agri-Cycle to convert unused food into energy and fertilizer.

Food Rescue Maine

Food Rescue Maine is an organization focused on promoting sustainable shopping, storage, and composting habits among residents.

The details

Hannaford Supermarkets and Agri-Cycle successfully diverted 23 million pounds of food last year, turning it into renewable energy and fertilizer. Food Rescue Maine is urging residents to adopt waste-conscious habits, including shopping with lists, proper food storage, and composting.

Hannaford Supermarkets and Agri-Cycle diverted 23 million pounds of food in 2025.
Maine Wasted Food Prevention Week occurs in October 2026.
The state set a target date of 2030 to cut food waste by 50%.

Roadmap

This initiative follows the benchmarks set by the Maine Materials Management Plan to address state-wide landfill reliance. By incentivizing private-sector partnerships like those with Agri-Cycle, the state is shifting from traditional waste disposal toward a circular economy model.

Residents are encouraged to reduce their personal contribution to landfills by creating shopping lists and composting leftover organic material. These small changes in household routines directly support the state's progress toward its 2030 reduction mandate.

The takeaway

Adopting simple composting and storage habits can significantly decrease individual waste footprints. Small, collective actions are essential to helping Maine meet its ambitious sustainability goals by the end of the decade.