San Diego, CA’s Organic Waste Recycling Program Shows Progress After First Full Year

SEATTLE (Waste Advantage): The amount of organic waste being delivered to the San Diego Miramar Greenery has nearly doubled in the two-years since SB 1383 went into effect. The law requires everyone in California to recycle their organic waste. It was passed by the Legislature in 2016, but the state delayed implementation to let cities and counties plan the roll-out. Then the pandemic delayed it further.

In 2023, San Diego began their roll out of green bins and kitchen caddies to single-family homes. For the most part, the city’s efforts have been working. According to numbers from the City of San Diego, 90,400 tons of organic waste went to the Greenery in Fiscal Year 2022, the year before the roll-out. In 2023, that number increased to 108,115 tons. In 2024, it was 158,086 tons. “It’s definitely a behavior change,” says City Recycling Program Manager Julie Sands. “it’s hard to create a behavior change, but we’re getting there. And we can see it from the numbers.”

The law was designed to fight climate change, by lowering the amount of methane gas released from landfills by organic waste as it breaks down. Instead, that waste is now turned into compost, which is free for the public to pick up.

Courtesy: www.wasteadvantage.com