Dupage Policy Journal

House Bill 1362, which forces state agencies in Illinois to be more environmentally friendly, passed both the House and Senate last week.

The legislation, which amends the Illinois Solid Waste Management Act, requires state agencies that are responsible for public land to examine their policies to determine if composting materials would help reduce stormwater run-off and improve the quality of the land.

“Composting is an effective method to stop pollution, cut costs and clean up contamination,” Sen. Tom Cullerton, who sponsored the bill in the Senate, said. “Every step we take makes a difference for generations to come. It’s our duty to continue to look for methods to protect Illinois’ ecosystem. If we want to ensure our children have clean water, air and ecologically safe spaces to be active, then we should continue to look for ways to be more environmentally savvy in Illinois."

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said composting enriches soil, cleans up contamination and prevents pollution. In addition, composting reduces the need for water, pesticide and fertilizer.

If all U.S. residents composted all of their food waste, the impact would be equivalent to removing 7.8 million cars from our roads, according to The Composting Council.