FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 29, 2025

CONTACT:

Elizabeth Schroeder

elizabeth@fullcirclefuture.org

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A powerful new voice in climate, health, and environmental justice is taking shape with today’s launch of Full Circle Future, an advocacy organization dedicated to advancing equitable solutions to one of the biggest climate and public health opportunities of our time — organic waste. Born from the successful circular economy campaign at Industrious Labs, Full Circle Future is launching with a record of policy wins, original research, and grassroots partnerships. To mark its launch, Full Circle Future will host a webinar on Wednesday, August 13 to share new research findings, momentum in key state policy efforts, and opportunities for action.

“Landfills are literally out of sight, but for policymakers and advocates seeking solutions to our biggest problems, they should be top of mind,” said Katherine Blauvelt, Executive Director of Full Circle Future. “The solutions are here — they’re proven, cost-effective, and ready to scale. With the right investments and smart leadership, we can make the air safer to breathe, save people money, create good-paying local jobs, and build a regenerative waste system that serves people. That’s the full circle future we’re committed to — and the momentum is only growing.”

To coincide with its launch, Full Circle Future has released an interactive Waste Impact Tracker, empowering people across all 50 states to explore pollution data by state, county, or individual landfill and learn how to support solutions in their own communities. The data reveals the significant public health and climate risks posed by over 2,600 Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) landfills. Across the United States, estimated methane emissions from MSW landfills in 2023 were equivalent to greenhouse gas emissions from 59 million gasoline-powered passenger vehicles driven for one year. Texas, California, and Florida emerge as the states with the highest landfill methane emissions, collectively emitting an estimated 71.1 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2023, based on 20-year global warming potential.

The Waste Impact Tracker also exposes the stark reality of landfill pollution’s unequal burden. A deeply entrenched history of environmental racism and injustice means that Black and Indigenous people, people of color, and people with low household incomes are disproportionately likely to live in the shadow of a landfill. In North Carolina, for example, 80 percent of MSW landfills are located near communities where the proportion of low-income households exceeds the state average. Children, the elderly, and those with pre-existing health conditions are also especially vulnerable to the toxic and water pollutants that often accompany methane. In Maryland, 69 percent of MSW landfills are near communities where the proportion of children under five years old is in the 90th percentile statewide.

The landfill pollution crisis also intersects with staggering levels of food waste and hunger; one-third of all surplus food — over 24 million tons — ends up decaying in landfills, even as more than 44 million Americans face food insecurity. This isn’t just a pollution crisis — it’s a systemic failure that deepens food injustice and effectively throws away hundreds of billions of dollars every year.

“This tool is about turning hard data into real power for communities,” said Riikka Yliluoma, Director of Impact and Systems at Full Circle Future. “Too often, vulnerable communities—those already facing economic and health challenges—are living next to these sites with little policymaker attention to the risks they face. By making this information accessible and local, we’re helping communities shine a spotlight on an overlooked crisis and equipping them to demand action where it’s needed most.”

Full Circle Future is calling on state agencies in California, Colorado, Michigan, and New York to take swift action to update flawed landfill emissions standards that fail to protect the public.  Many landfills use outdated or insufficient technology and fail to monitor leaks effectively, putting the public at risk. Simultaneously, the team is working alongside partner organizations in Michigan and Maryland to advance policies that reduce food waste at the source and expand access to practical solutions, such as food recycling.

While Full Circle Future is a new name, the team brings years of experience, having led major waste and methane reduction initiatives under Industrious Labs. Due to its rapid growth and distinct focus on organic waste, the team decided it was time to spin off and become an independent organization focused on driving solutions to this critical challenge.

“The Industrious Labs team is proud of its work to incubate and grow the circular economy campaign, from a concept to the leading, high-impact operation it's become,” said Evan Gillespie, Partner at Industrious Labs. “As part of Industrious Labs, the team contributed to groundbreaking work to update landfill emission standards in Washington and Colorado; pass legislation in Oregon to implement advanced landfill monitoring technology; launch a community composting project in Detroit; and spark a national conversation on landfill regulations. We can’t wait to see what the team will take on next.”

The name “Full Circle Future” reflects the organization’s mission and method: building a circular economy that regenerates, not pollutes, and taking a comprehensive approach to policy and organizing that puts community voices at the center. The group is fiscally sponsored by Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs and operates under their 501(c)(3) nonprofit status.

“This is a promising moment where the solutions are truly within reach,” said Blauvelt. “This crisis is solvable in our lifetime. We couldn’t be more ready to build on the momentum we’ve started to usher in a more sustainable, equitable waste management infrastructure — from expanding organics recycling and food waste reduction efforts to updating landfill emissions standards.”

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