Jersey City's Food Waste Problem — And What We Can Do About It

With 40,000 tons of food waste annually, Jersey City faces a growing challenge. Here’s how local biodigestion can make a dent.

By the numbers

In 2021, Jersey City generated approximately 40,000 tons of food waste. Statewide, food made up roughly 22% of all solid waste in 2024. Most of it went to landfills, where it decomposed into methane — a greenhouse gas 20 times more impactful than carbon dioxide.

The cost of doing nothing

Landfill tipping fees continue to rise. Transportation costs climb with fuel prices. And the environmental damage compounds year after year. For a dense city like Jersey City, the status quo is increasingly untenable.

A local solution

What if food waste never left the neighborhood? Community-scale biodigesters can process organic waste on site, within walking distance of where it’s generated. The outputs — clean energy, fertile soil, and potable water — go right back into the community.

What this looks like

Imagine a community garden on your block that also happens to process your food scraps, generate electricity for nearby streetlights, and produce compost for local green spaces. That’s the Liberty Power Gardens model: infrastructure that’s functional, beautiful, and community-owned.

Getting involved

We’re actively looking for neighborhoods in Jersey City that want to pilot this approach. If your community association, building, or block is interested, we’d love to hear from you.