California Struggles to Meet Waste-Reduction Targets
Two years after California launched an effort to keep organic waste out of landfills, the state is so far behind on getting food recycling programs up and running that it’s widely accepted next year’s ambitious waste-reduction targets won’t be met.
Challenges in Implementing Food Recycling Programs
California's goal is to keep organic waste from piling up in landfills by turning it into compost or biogas. However, the state is facing challenges in implementing food recycling programs.
Households and businesses are supposed to sort organic waste into a different bin, but changing people's behavior in such a short period of time has proven difficult. Additionally, setting up contracts to haul organic waste was delayed due to the pandemic.
Southern California, home to the nation's largest facility to convert food waste into biogas, has filed for bankruptcy because it's not getting enough organic material.
Excess Compost and Lack of Space
Some communities that have ramped up collection now have more compost than they know what to do with. This highlights the challenges that lie ahead as California aims to reduce the amount of organic waste it sends to landfills by 75% by 2025.
The state requires cities to use the compost they produce, but many cities don't have enough space to store it all. Chula Vista, for example, is supposed to use 14,000 tons of compost a year but currently uses only a few thousand tons.
To address this issue, compost-maker Agromin has developed a plan to connect cities struggling to meet the compost requirements with farmers in need of compost for their soil.
Biogas Facility Faces Bankruptcy
Food waste can also be converted into biogas, but a biogas facility in Rialto, Southern California, is facing bankruptcy due to slow collection ramp-up in Los Angeles. The facility is not receiving enough waste to operate.
The delay in waste collection enforcement has left the market struggling, and there is a possibility of the facility shutting down completely if it doesn't receive enough feedstock this year.
To overcome these challenges, more needs to be done to keep plastics out of compost and to develop alternative energy solutions.
