Reducing Food Waste

California just enacted a law, set to start on January 1, 2022, that requires all Californians to compost everything from food scraps to paper towers and plates. How is this going to affect you? Over the next 2 years, the new composting mandate is going to go into effect city by city and country by county. As of yet, no fines will be imposed on residents. However, in the coming years, anyone found to be throwing food scraps, or other compostable items, in the garbage will be fined in amounts up to $500/day.  

What can be composted? Rule of thumb is anything growing in nature can go into the compost, but here’s a list to go by:

-               Plant-based products

-               Fruit and vegetable scraps

-               Coffee grounds

-               Tea leaves

-               Nut and egg shells

-               Grass trimming and weeds

Paper products such as tissues, paper towels, paper plates, toilet paper, coffee filters, tea bags, and paper takeout containers can all be composted, as long as they are not lined with plastic or synthetic film. Other items used in the kitchen including wooden chopsticks, toothpick, and matches are also compostable. Some areas such as Santa Monica also allow you to compost animal-based products for example meat scraps and dairy products.

This new mandate is being put into place in an effort to reduce emissions of climate pollutants. Scientists have found when organic waste gets dumped into a landfill, it decomposes and creates methane, which is a super-pollutant with 80 times the earth warming potency of carbon dioxide. As such, to slow the advance of global warming, California is redirecting compostable materials to facilities that can help sink carbon back into the earth. 

To find out what can be composted in your area, check your municipalities website.

For more information, please contact Tango Properties at 818-400-1664 or email us at cbabalian@gmail.com.

Sources:

Cohen, E., & Jessup LLP. (2022, January 5). New California compost law goes into effect. JD Supra. Retrieved February 4, 2022, from https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/new-california-compost-law-goes-into-3245289/ 

Hirsh, S. (2022, January 3). This state is now requiring its residents to compost food scraps. Green Matters. Retrieved February 4, 2022, from https://www.greenmatters.com/p/california-compost-law 

Rainey, James. “What You Need to Know about California's New Composting Law - a Game Changer for Food Waste.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 Dec. 2021, https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-12-26/organic-waste-composting-law-2022-recycling.