Effective Jan. 3, the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) will change its policy for the amount of time an establishment under compliance agreement may hold regulated garbage. APHIS is increasing the hold time for these establishments from the current limit of 72 hours to 120 hours.

Over the course of 2022, APHIS Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) staff will revise existing compliance agreements and associated documents during routine compliance monitoring checks. The revisions will document the change in regulated garbage hold time from 72 hours to 120 hours. PPQ and CBP should complete these revisions by Dec. 31, 2022.

Establishments currently under compliance agreement to handle regulated garbage may also contact the local PPQ or CBP representative to request that their agreement be updated to allow regulated garbage to remain in their possession for 120 hours.

The purpose of the APHIS regulated garbage regulations is to protect American agriculture and natural resources by preventing the introduction and spread of foreign plant and animal pests and diseases.