COMPOST

Beginning in January, 2022, SB 1383 requires every jurisdiction in California to provide organic waste collection services to all residents and businesses. For more information on SB1383 as it pertains to local school districts please visit CalRecycle.

Why is diverting food to an industrial compost facility better than the landfill? When food doesn’t decompose properly it produces methane, a gas that is 84x more potent than carbon dioxide. Organics like food scraps, yard trimmings, paper, and cardboard make up half of what is dumped in our landfills. In a compost facility, food decomposes properly and is converted into useful materials such as compost mulch for agricultural uses.

By sorting food into separate bins for compost, trash and recycling at lunchtime, schools can divert thousands of pounds of waste from the landfill every year. Often this costs the same if not cheaper than a school’s current trash contract.

Composting is an invaluable learning experience for children to understand the wonders of organic waste decomposition and its beneficial uses.

If you are a school in Los Angeles County, please contact Emily Spokes at angelenosforgreenschools@gmail.com for more information about how to start a compost program at your school.

LATIMES: California goes to war with food waste. Composting is its next climate crusade
Los Angeles City Council Resolution to comply with SB1383