Grand Jury: Organic Waste is Filling Up OC Landfills, Producing Methane
Most Orange County cities are failing to recycle organic waste, according to a new grand jury report that examined OC jurisdictions and local waste facilities and how they’re responding to statewide recycling goals.
“The majority of Orange County jurisdictions have not yet distributed residential waste containers that meet the SB 1383 standardization requirements, leaving outdated labeling/embossing in place,” reads the report. “Education and outreach have not yet taken place at all in some jurisdictions.”
It’s part of a statewide effort to dramatically reduce organic waste in landfills by 75% before next January.
In 2016, California enacted Senate Bill 1383, which required counties and cities to update recycling practices to better divert organic waste — scraps from plant or animal products — from landfills.
Organic waste, including food waste and other recyclables like paper and cardboard, makes up more than half of the trash that ends up in California landfills. When left to decompose in landfills, organic waste produces methane gas, a hazardous pollutant.
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