Dive Brief:
- One-third of trash tossed into California landfills is comprised of organic waste, according to the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, or CalRecycle.
- Food scraps alone account for 15.5% of the total amount of debris in the state’s waste stream.
- The state is ramping up its efforts to recycle these food scraps. One example: AB 1826, a new state law requiring businesses and apartment buildings to recycle organics, will take effect in 2016.
Dive Insight:
Recycling rates across California have increased. In 1989, the recycling rate was 10%; in 2013, the rate had grown to about 66%. The legislature set a statewide goal to reach a 75% recycling rate by 2020.
The state also set limits on the amount of waste cities can produce per person. Local governments are required to meet these goals. Figures show that in 2013, waste was reduced to 4.4 pounds per day per person, a 1.3 pound from 2007.