By Emily Chang
New year, new…composting law! On Jan. 1, California Senate Bill (SB) 1383 went into effect, requiring the citizens of California to compost their food scraps. The Ventura County Public Works website explains that “organic waste in landfills emit methane, a climate super pollutant 84 times more potent than carbon.” In a move to help reduce methane emissions, Californians should now place their organic waste in a plastic bag, tie it and toss it in the city-issued yard waste bin that citizens already have.
Exactly what you can compost varies with each city, but the City of Ventura website lists “meat, bones, poultry, seafood, shells, dairy, eggs, pasta, grains, coffee grounds, fruits, vegetables, and other inedible and edible parts of food.” These food scraps will then be redirected as compost to farms and communities for gardening.
New developments will continue to unfold as residents get used to the new law. Ventura County promised residents a “free food waste recycling pail” soon, without providing an exact timeline. While cities will not fine individuals who do not comply until 2024, it is important to get educated and get into the habit of composting now. Another part of the bill indicates that within the next few years, E.J. Harrison & Sons, the waste collection company, will switch out the residential collection containers for new, differently colored containers.
In compliance with SB 1383, CI has added composting bins on campus. Roxane Beigel-Coryell, CI Sustainability and Energy Manager, explained, “There are food waste collection bins in Islands Café and the Lighthouse Café/Freudian Sip in the Student Union building.” The same food products that Ventura County accepts will be accepted on campus, including “raw, cooked, and processed food.” However, “absolutely no non-food items should go in the bins, such as napkins, utensils, plates, or other paper/plastic products.” The food waste from campus will be dealt with in the same manner as from homes, collected by EJ Harrison & Sons and taken to a facility to be turned into compost.
Beigel-Coryell emphasized the importance of paying attention to what you throw in the food waste bins: “If we fail to properly sort our waste at the bin, we risk contaminating the waste stream and having all waste sent to the landfill.” New waste signs will be put up to remind everyone what materials belong in each bin, and “it takes a brief moment to review the sign to ensure you are properly disposing of your waste, an action that can have significant benefits.” She added that the food waste collection program will be gradually expanding, which requires “a lot of organization, money and logistics,” and depends on the campus community approaching the program seriously and thoughtfully.
While climate and environmental change can be a source of anxiety and uncertainty, real solutions that can make impactful, positive changes are being implemented. Properly disposing of food waste is a solution that citizens can engage with on an individual level to work toward a brighter future and a healthier planet.
