We recently published a guide to California’s new compost law, but we’re not stopping there. Many of you pointed out the importance of also having local compost options. Quick reminder: The law called SB 1383 aims to keep food waste out of landfills, where it decomposes and emits the planet-heating greenhouse gas methane.
Landfills are California’s third largest source of methane because of this. When it comes to separating your food waste from the trash, some of you wanted to avoid the impact of trucking food waste to large-scale facilities, like the one outside of Bakersfield where much of L.A.
’s food waste ends up . Others were concerned about how food waste is also being turned into natural gas, which is primarily made of methane, the very pollutant food waste diversion aims to cut down on. When you drop off your food waste at a local compost hub, that food will be composted and used locally, in parks, community gardens and other green spaces.
And since SB 1383 went into effect in 2022, there’s been more investment in local composting efforts. “It's only because of SB 1383 that the conversation, the discourse has evolved and has expanded,” said Christine Lenches-Hinkel, founder of Pasadena-based company 301 Organics , which provides organics management, strategic planning, composting services to businesses and residents. Here in the L.
A. area, the nonprofit LA Compost has received state grants to expand compost hubs across the region, in Ventura, Santa Barba.