SB 279 (McNerney)
Scaling Up California Composting

OVERVIEW:

SB 279 will expand composting capacity in California, providing growers with a sustainable alternative to open burning while increasing opportunities to recycle food scraps and agricultural waste into a valuable resource.

BACKGROUND

Food scraps, yard trimmings, and other organic materials make up half of what Californians send to landfills and emit 20 percent of the state’s methane.  Composting organic waste is not only essential for meeting California’s ambitious climate and environmental goals but also crucial to building a resilient and sustainable agricultural economy in the Central Valley and beyond.

This bill represents a critical opportunity for California growers to contribute to the state’s organic waste recycling efforts in a greater capacity. This is more important than ever because, as of January 1, 2025, California growers can no longer rely on open burning to manage agricultural byproducts—  a practice historically used for waste disposal but one that also contributes to air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. While composting offers an environmentally friendly alternative for managing agricultural waste, growers currently face restrictions that limit their ability to co-compost woody materials with off-site organic inputs like manures. Removing this red tape would reduce waste while enriching California soils with much-needed nutrients, supporting sustainable agriculture and soil regeneration.

Recognizing the importance of organic waste diversion and recycling, California set ambitious targets under SB 1383 (Lara, 2016)—50% reduction by 2020 and 75% by 2025. While the state’s organic waste efforts have already spurred $2.3 billion in private investment, CalRecycle estimates that 50 to 100 new or expanded organic waste recycling facilities are still needed to meet SB 1383’s goals.  However, the permitting, siting, and constructing of large-scale composting facilities can take years. To bridge this gap, California must maximize the capacity of existing community and midsized composting operations to accelerate food waste diversion and expand the state’s composting infrastructure.

Community composters play a vital role in California’s composting network, but current regulations cap their capacity at 100 cubic yards before triggering burdensome permitting requirements, limiting their ability to process food scraps and other organic materials.  They are at the frontline of redefining food scraps as a valuable resource rather than waste. 

The local benefits of community composting include waste reduction, lower pollution, climate resiliency, and healthy soils—all while keeping organics recycling close to where waste is generated. At any scale, composting reduces emissions and pollution, but community composting has the greatest impact on local ecosystem sustainability and climate resilience with the added benefits of environmental education and increased composting capacity. Without increased capacity, California risks falling short of its SB 1383 targets, keeping food scraps in landfills where they produce methane, a potent greenhouse gas.

This bill breaks down these barriers and expands composting options, empowering California growers and composters to turn agricultural byproducts, food scraps, and other organics from burdens to benefits— transforming waste into a resource that enriches soils, strengthens local food systems, and fights climate change.

Position: Co-Sponsored by Californians Against Waste , California Alliance for Community Composting, California Association of Winegrape Growers, The Climate Center, People Food & Land Foundation, & Western Tree Nut Association

Contact: Nick Lapis & Erica Parker

Status: Referred to the Senate Committee on Environmental Quality

Current language, analysis, and votes:  SB 279

WHAT DOES SB 279 DO?

SB 279 includes three key components to expand composting capacity and improve organic waste management in California:

1. Expanding On-Farm Composting Options. Provides California growers with greater flexibility to compost agricultural materials on-site, including the use of off-site organic inputs, helping them comply with the agricultural burning ban while returning nutrients to California soil.

2. Increasing Community Composting Capacity. Raises the allowable capacity for community composters that are exempt from permitting from 100 cubic yards to 500 cubic yards, allowing them to manage more organic materials without facing complex regulatory hurdles.

3. Increasing Food Waste Diversion Capacity. Permits up to 10% food waste at Notification Tier composting facilities, expanding California’s ability to process food waste and meet SB 1383 diversion goals.

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