California’s Climate Pollutant Reduction Strategy
SB 1383
Fighting Climate Change by Recycling Organic Waste
In September 2016, Governor Edmund Brown Jr. set methane emissions reduction targets for California (SB 1383 Lara, Chapter 395, Statutes of 2016) in a statewide effort to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants (SLCP). The targets must:
- Reduce organic waste disposal 75% by 2025.
- Rescue for people to eat at least 20% of currently disposed surplus food by 2025.
Landfills Are Third Largest Source of Methane in California
Organic waste in landfills emits:
- 20% of the state’s methane, a climate super pollutant 84 times more potent than carbon dioxide.
- Air pollutants like PM 2.5, which contributes to health conditions like asthma.
- Organics like food scraps, yard trimmings, paper, and cardboard make up half of what Californians dump in landfills.
- Reducing Short-Lived Climate Super Pollutants like organic waste will have the fastest impact on the climate crisis.
Information on
California Communities Fighting Climate Change
2 million tons of organic waste a year was already cut between 2018 to 2021, even before most communities launched their organic waste programs when the law took effect on January 1, 2022.
California now has 206 organic waste processing facilities and is building 20 more.
Quality Compost Matters
Understanding what compost is, how it’s produced, and what it is made of is important in successfully using it in your own projects. This page explores the fundamentals of compost, and it will give you a solid framework to build on to further explore the uses and benefits of compost.
