Grass trimmings, bones and banana peels: the yard and food scraps once forgotten about the moment they landed in the trash, are now at the center of a new program meant to curb emissions by repurposing waste.
Long Beach next month is beginning the first iteration of its phased rollout of Senate Bill 1383, a 2020 state law with the goal of throwing 75% less organic waste into California landfills by 2025.
Organic waste makes up nearly half of the waste —about 78 million tons — sent to state landfills, which account for a fifth of California’s methane emissions, according to CalRecycle.
“By launching the organics collection program, our City is taking a significant step towards a greener future and aligning with the state’s broader efforts to combat climate change,” Mayor Rex Richardson said in a statement.
The change, starting the week of Oct. 14, will come in the form of new composting trash bins for about 8,000 homes and apartments in 13 areas around the city , including around Alamitos Beach, near Cal State Long Beach and parts of North Wrigley, Lakewood Village, Ramona Park, Wrigley Heights and around the Virginia Country Club.