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Waste & Recycling
Sacramento diverts methane through recycling organic waste
By LAUREN CAGGIANO | The Municipal
California has long been known as a leader in environmentalism, and one city is maintaining that distinction with another key move to reduce food waste. In accordance with a new statewide mandate, SB 1383, the city of Sacramento on July 1 implemented its new commercial organics recycling program and plans to target the residential base in 2022. Per the mandate, businesses and other commercial entities in Sacramento now are required to recycle their food waste and to subscribe to an organic waste commercial service. According to the Sacramento Commercial Waste Compliance Manager Erin Treadwell, these moves are driven by addressing climate change at the individual level. “Be it commercial or residential, the short-term climate action was the main thrust of it,” she said. “By diverting food waste out of the landfill, we potentially divert methane from being created, and that kind of thing has a real impact on climate and climate change.” According to Treadwell, this is not the first targeted action when it comes to addressing global warming. She said there have been other statewide food diversion programs in place. For instance, there was AB 1826. “So, a lot of businesses are already complying or needing to convert foodways,” she said. “But what 1383 does is it doubles down on what the commercial (sector) needs to do and mandates that all residential 48 THE MUNICIPAL | FEBRUARY 2022
ABOVE: Reductions of short-lived climate pollutant emissions like methane are one of California’s five key climate change strategy pillars necessary to meet its target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 40% below 1990 levels by 2030. (Photo provided)
multifamily apartments, apartments, as well as single-family residents, have to divert. This will mean all food waste is diverted as the landfill across all sectors.” For the purpose of this program, food waste includes food-soiled paper such as pizza boxes, coffee filters, paper napkins and yard trimmings. The organic waste will be taken to one of the city’s recycling processors and turned into compost and made available to customers. On the commercial side, Treadwell said at the time of press, most businesses have already complied with the mandate, though they have until the end of the year to come online. She estimates that about 70% of businesses are already set up and actively participating. The next frontier is the noncommercial side. In her words, “multifamily is ramping up, and they’re going to be starting up in January and having food waste in apartment buildings. And then on the residential (end), we’re looking at probably implementing sometime this summer.”
