Organic waste recycling will begin this year in San Diego neighborhoods, a requirement for all of California as a result of Senate Bill 1383. The city is still working on a residential implementation plan for the new program—it won’t happen all at once but as soon as homeowners receive their new kitchen pail and composting bin, that is their trigger to start collecting. “It’s going to be a big habitual change for everyone,” said Meagan Browning, recycling specialist with the city of San Diego. Browning shared the latest on organic waste recycling with the Carmel Valley Community Planning Board at its July meeting.
Senate Bill 1383 requires the development of organic waste diversion programs, aiming to reduce the organic waste sent to landfills by 75% by 2025 and reduce short-lived climate pollutants like carbon dioxide and methane. The greenhouse gasses pollute the air and contribute to climate change and have a negative effect on the economy, public health and the environment, Browning said.
Currently, more than 900,000 tons of trash is disposed of at Miramar Landfill every year—and a lot of that material can be recycled. “Diverting organic waste from landfills will have the fastest impact on the climate crisis,” Browning said. Organic waste recycling has already begun locally in cities such as Solana Beach, Del Mar, Chula Vista and Escondido.