In 2018, nearly one-third of the 39 million tons of waste in California landfills was compostable organic material. Organic material – food and agricultural waste – releases methane, a very potent greenhouse gas, as it decomposes. As a result, California’s Short-Lived Pollutant Reduction law, SB-1383, targets such food waste by establishing methane reduction targets and takes aim at food insecurity in the state. The implementation of SB-1383 is vital in supporting California’s climate goals. Methane is produced when organics rot, and it is critical to reduce methane emissions levels as the gas is eighty-four times more potent than carbon dioxide in the atmosphere over a 20 year period. When implemented, SB-1383 will reduce California’s methane emissions from organic materials in traditional landfills by an estimated twenty percent.

SB 1383 also supports California's commitments to improving human health, creating clean jobs, and supporting local economies. Some of SB-1383 targets include: expanding California’s organics infrastructure, ensuring all residents and businesses have access to recycling and organics collection services, a seventy-five percent reduction in organic waste disposal from 2014 levels, and that no less than twenty percent of currently disposed edible food is reserved for human consumption by 2025. The bill also requires jurisdictions to conduct outreach and education to all businesses, residents, solid waste facilities, and local food banks. 

Chris Seney is the Director of Organics Operations at Republic Services and has operated organic facilities for over twenty years in California. Seney helped lead the development of organics infrastructure and enactment of SB-1383 across the state. The implementation of SB-1383 has resulted in an increase in demand for composting facilities, which, in turn, has increased energy demand. Now, California has its first fully solar-powered compost facility,  Republic Services’ Otay Compost Facility in Chula Vista. The facility runs completely on renewable energy, processes one hundred tons of organic waste a day, and helps the San Diego region meet the demands of SB-1383. 

Compost also supports California’s climate goals as it promotes a “an economy that uses a systems-focused approach and involves industrial processes and economic activities that are restorative or regenerative by design.” A circular economy focuses on sustainability and  the lifecycle of materials, maximizing resources while minimizing waste. Compost is a critical part of a circular economy as the compost produced from recycled organics preserves natural resources, nutrients, and water that would otherwise be lost in landfills. Along with preserving resources, the composting initiatives in SB-1383 are expected to significantly support decarbonization goals. Whendee Silver, a UC Berkeley ecosystem ecologist, “has estimated that applying an inch of compost to just 5% of California’s rangelands would suck enough carbon out of the atmosphere to equal pulling 6 million cars off the road.” Composting may be the next climate crusade and SB-1383 is leading the nation in efforts reducing both food waste and greenhouse gas emissions. 

Sources: 

• SB 1383 Resources - CalRecycle Home Page
• Chris Seney - COMPOST2023 - USCC Conference Site (compostconference.com)
• SB 1383: Cal Recycles Organic Waste Recycling Requirement | City of Corona (coronaca.gov)
• Organic Materials Management and Climate Change - CalRecycle Home Page
• Understand Senate Bill (SB) 1383 - Recycling & Waste Reduction Division - County of Santa Clara (sccgov.org)
• Republic Services (RSG) Opens Solar-Powered Compost Facility | Markets Insider (businessinsider.com)
• California’s first fully solar-powered compost facility shines brightly, SCS Engineers
• California goes to war with food waste. Composting is its next climate crusade, LA Times
• What is a circular economy? EPA
• Methane action: Tackling a warming planet, UNEP.

For a transcript, please visit https://climatebreak.org/using-solar-energy-to-power-large-scale-compost-with-chris-seney/