Organics Recycling is Changing in Lomita!

Organics Recycling is Changing in Lomita!2024-04-15T12:23:30-07:00

Residents across California will soon see changes to the way organic materials, such as food scraps and yard trimmings, are disposed of and recycled. SB 1383, a statewide effort to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, will require all California cities, including Lomita, to reduce organic waste and recover surplus food to feed Californians facing food insecurity.

This means there will be some changes in how we ask our residents to sort their organic waste, and in how our City’s waste hauler, Athens Services, collects and processes organic materials. During this period of transition, we appreciate our community’s cooperation and dedication to our City’s goal of creating a more sustainable future for generations to come.

Starting on January 1, 2024 all residents and businesses in California including Lomita will be required to recycle their organic waste. Organic waste includes food scraps, food-soiled paper and green waste.

What does this mean for you?

The City of Lomita is partnering with our waste hauler, Athens Services, which will provide safe and reliable curbside collection services for residents and businesses, including you! For residents, you will simply dispose of your organic waste in your existing green waste bin.

Help Be the Change!

When organic materials such as food scraps, yard trimmings, and paper break down in a landfill, they contribute to climate change. Because these materials decompose anaerobically (without oxygen) in a landfill, they produce methane, which is one of the most potent greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and a major contributor to climate change.

In an effort to protect the environment and reduce methane emissions, the State is requiring cities, like Lomita, to increase the diversion of organic materials away from landfills and toward the production of value-added products such as fertilizers, compost, and biofuels. The simplest way to accomplish this is to separate out organic waste from the rest of our trash, the same way we do with recyclable materials. This allows our waste hauler to repurpose these materials into mulch, compost, healthy soil, and other materials that help, not harm, our environment.

One of the most powerful things you can do to help California adapt to a changing climate is to use compost and mulch produced in California to sequester, or reuse, carbon in the soil – giving your organic waste a second life and purpose.

For tips on composting and other helpful gardening information, visit: https://dpw.lacounty.gov/epd/sg/

Frequently Asked Questions

What is organic waste?2021-11-09T23:35:57-08:00

Organic waste is any material that is biodegradable and comes from either a plant or an animal. Biodegradable waste is organic material that can be broken into carbon dioxide, methane, or simple organic molecules.

What items are considered organic waste and acceptable for the green waste bin?2022-12-17T00:23:10-08:00
Green Waste
  • Grass clippings
  • Leaves and branches
  • Flower and hedge trimmings
  • Weeds
  • Lumber, scrap wood and plywood (not painted or treated)
Food Scraps
  • Fruits and vegetables
  • Cheese and dairy
  • Meat, bones, poultry and seafood (including soft shells)
  • Bread, rice and pasta
  • Cut flowers and herbs
  • Coffee grounds and filters
  • Any putrescible matter produced from human or animal food production, preparation, and consumption activities
Food-Soiled Paper
  • Food-stained paper
  • Napkins and paper kitchen towels
  • Paper egg cartons
  • Paper food boats (no plastic lining)
  • Paper packaging
  • Paper plates and cups (no plastic lining)
  • Pizza boxes
  • 100% fiber based, compostable serving-ware and to-go containers
  • Plates

Plastic and bioplastic bags are accepted in the green waste bin but must be clear or translucent-green, and bag contents must be visible.

Why are the requirements changing?2021-11-09T23:37:52-08:00

A focus on recycling organic materials is central to California’s efforts to combat climate change. California has been experiencing the effects of a climate crisis: hotter summers, extreme temperatures, an increase in wildfires, extreme droughts, and rising sea levels that erode our coastlines. Research has taught us that greenhouse gases released by human activities, such as landfilling food and yard waste, contribute to climate change. To respond to this climate crisis, California is implementing statewide organic waste recycling and surplus food recovery.

Who do these new requirements apply to?2021-11-09T23:38:18-08:00

Everybody, including you! If you live, work, or own property in the State of California, you will need to take part in these new processes.

How do I participate?2021-11-09T23:41:12-08:00

Residents

What are my responsibilities as a resident?

  • Residents will simply dispose of organic/compostable waste in your existing green waste bin.
  • Investing in a kitchen trash bin used specifically for organics is recommended and will make this process easy.

Businesses

What are my responsibilities as a business?

  • Any business with 2 cubic yards of trash or more weekly is required to recycle organics and food waste.
  • Food service businesses must donate edible food to food recovery organizations with others starting in 2024. This will help feed the almost 1 in 4 Californians without enough to eat.
  • California has a goal to redirect 20% of edible food currently thrown away to people in need by 2025.

Self-Haulers (contractors, construction workers, landscapers, etc.)

What are my responsibilities as a self-hauler?

  • Self-haulers will need to ensure all organic compostable materials — such as hedge and tree trimmings, cardboards, wood scraps, etc. — are separated from landfill materials and properly disposed of.
Where will organic waste go?2021-11-09T23:41:42-08:00

As California collects and recycles organic materials, local governments will be required to use the products made from this recycled organic material, such as renewable energy, compost, and mulch.

For example, organic waste will be used to curate healthy soil! Compost is a key to healthy soil, and healthy soil is critical to reducing carbon in the air.

Where will recovered surplus edible food go?2022-03-10T20:34:23-08:00

Recovered surplus edible food will be donated to food banks, homeless shelters, and other organizations for those who are food insecure. Starting in 2022, food service businesses must donate edible food to food recovery organizations. This will help feed the almost 1 in 4 Californians without enough to eat. California has a 2025 goal to redirect to people in need 20% of edible food currently thrown away.

Am I required to participate? What if I don’t change anything about how I take out my trash?2021-11-09T23:43:04-08:00

Yes! This is a new system similar to how your trash is picked up now. Everyone will need to participate and properly sort discarded materials into the correct bins or receptacles provided.

If you choose not to participate, you may receive a fine similar to if you don’t dispose of your regular trash properly.

The enforcement provisions in SB 1383 will assist jurisdictions, non-local entities, local education districts, state, federal facilities, and CalRecycle to achieve the state’s climate goals and the 75 percent organic waste diversion goal by 2025 and into the future. More information on enforcement rollout are forthcoming.

What if I don’t have the right resources?2021-11-09T23:43:40-08:00

The City of Lomita will provide resources to all residents and businesses.

Starting in 2022, all jurisdictions will need to provide organic waste collection services to all residents and businesses and facilitate the recycling of these organic materials through their hauler.

Will this mandate be enforced?2021-11-09T23:44:16-08:00

The enforcement provisions in SB 1383 will assist jurisdictions, non-local entities, local education districts, state, federal facilities, and CalRecycle to achieve the state’s climate goals and the 75 percent organic waste diversion goal by 2025 and into the future. More information on enforcement rollout is forthcoming.

What items should not be included in the green waste bin?2022-12-17T00:24:12-08:00

Please do not include the following:

  • All plastics
  • Cacti, succulents and yucca
  • Compostable plastics (bioplastics)
  • Coffee cups and pods
  • Fats, oils and grease
  • Food stickers (please remove)
  • Gloves
  • Hard shells (clams, mussels, oysters)
  • Medication
  • Palm fronds
  • Paper napkins and towels with cleaning chemicals
  • Parchment and wax paper
  • Pet waste
  • Rocks and soil
  • Rubber bands and twist ties
  • Tea bags
  • Textiles
  • Tissues and wet wipes

Edible Food Recovery Resources

Directories

Los Angeles County Food DROP Program 

  • The Food DROP Program provides an interactive map that lists the contact information for food recovery and food rescue organizations within LA County.
  • LACounty.gov

Food Pantries

  • The Food DROP Program provides an interactive map that lists the contact information for food recovery and food rescue organizations within LA County.
  • FoodPantries.org

App

Careit

  • Careit is a free online donation matching marketplace for edible food generators and food recovery organizations to responsibly donate their surplus food and resources. Careit enables businesses, governments, and food recovery organizations to maintain uniform food donation records.
  • CareitApp.com

Funded by a grant from CalRecycle

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