Making Statewide Composting a Reality
The legislature will be voting in the next two days on a bill that will set enforceable limits on methane emissions from landfills, dairies, and the oil-and-gas sector. Methane is a super pollutant that leads to rapid climate change, and, in the case of landfills, it is readily preventable if food scraps and yard trimmings are composted, digested, or used to feed humans or animals.
SB 1383, by Senator Ricardo Lara, directs the state’s recycling agency to adopt enforceable regulations to cut the organic waste we send to landfills by 75%, laying the groundwork for local governments and garbage companies to roll out curbside composting statewide over the next 5 years!
This landmark bill also requires that 20% of edible food be recovered for human consumption, turning the tide on the 40% of food that is never eaten.
What this means for California:
Organic waste recycling, composting, will be more widely available across the state
A significant decrease in the amount of valuable organic waste going to landfills leading to the prevention of methane emissions
Prevents healthy, edible food from becoming waste through food waste prevention and rescue programs, helping to feed the millions of food insecure Californians