California to help communities recycle 7.7 million tons of food and yard waste

Funds for California companies and new jobs spur climate progress

Office of Public Affairs
For Immediate Release: December 19, 2023
News Release # #2023-10
Media Contact: Lance Klug
916-341-6293 | lance.klug@calrecycle.ca.gov

SACRAMENTO – To cut as much climate pollution as taking half-a-million cars off the road, new state support will invest $130 million to grow California industry and jobs and help communities turn food and yard waste into clean energy and compost.

California Climate Investments’ Organics Grant Program awards will accelerate the state’s climate progress by keeping 7.7 million tons of organic waste from emitting methane climate pollution in landfills. Methane is a climate super pollutant with 84 times more heat-trapping power than carbon dioxide.

“California’s latest investments in food and yard waste recycling will cut planet-heating pollution and grow California companies with new green jobs in our communities,” CalRecycle Director Rachel Machi Wagoner said. “Organic waste recycling is part of California’s climate fight as we move toward circular, local systems that continuously recycle what we used to throw away.”

Project Highlights

  • $130 million to 23 infrastructure projects in 15 counties
  • Over 7.7 million tons of food and yard waste kept out of landfills
  • Climate pollution cuts = Over 480,000 cars off the road
  • 114 new jobs for California’s clean economy

The funded projects will recycle organic material into new products like:

  1. Compost – a superfood for soil to retain more water, and help plants: get more nutrients, use less pesticides, and pull more planet-heating carbon from the air.
  2. Biofuel – to fuel local bus or service truck fleets with less carbon pollution, or for clean energy to power buildings.

SB 1383 Climate Progress Update

California’s organics recycling and unsold food recovery law (SB 1383) took effect in 2022 to cut methane emissions from organic waste rotting in landfills.

  • 75% of communities now report residential organics collection programs.
  • Nearly 100% reported expanding commercial organics collection programs.
  • Landfill data shows organics disposal dropped by 2 million tons from 2014 to 2021, even before SB 1383 took effect in 2022.
  • CalRecycle’s next study on how much organics went to landfills is planned for 2024 and will be published in 2025.

Get Instant Updates: Organics Climate Progress |Funding Opportunities

CalRecycle Organics Grant Awards

County RecipientProject SummaryKept Out of Landfills (10 years)Award
Fresno - California Grinding, Inc.Build biofuel facility to recycle organic waste, +26 jobs390,000 tons$6,575,956
Fresno -Green Valley RecyclingInstall and operate de-packager to recycle more food waste, +15 jobs461,137 tons$3,000,000
Humboldt - Humboldt Waste Management AuthorityConvert building to pre-process food and yard waste for recycling,+5 jobs237,823 tons$2,710,081
Kern -Kern CountyBuild a composting operation at the landfill, +6 jobs831,000 tons$10,000,000
Los Angeles -Los Angeles County Sanitation DistrictsUpgrade wastewater treatment plant to recycle more organic waste600,000 tons$10,000,000
Los Angeles - University of Southern CaliforniaInstall an in-vessel composting system for LA Memorial Coliseum grounds530 tons$116,000
Napa -City of NapaBuild new biofuel facility to recycle more food waste,+5 jobs300,000 tons$10,000,000
Placer -Western Placer Waste Management AuthorityBuild new composting facility to recycle more organic waste1,259,000 tons$9,960,379
Riverside -City of RiversideUpgrade wastewater treatment plant to recycle more organic waste200,000 tons$10,000,000
Riverside - Riverside CountyBuild a new composting facility, +2 jobs59,000 tons$1,288,470
Sacramento -CSU SacramentoReplace organics compactor with an in-vessel composting system958 tons$179,618
Sacramento -DSM Group, LLCPurchase an in-vessel composter and equipment260 tons$341,367
Sacramento -Sacramento CountyConstruct building to pre-process food and yard waste for recycling452,760 tons$3,000,000
San Diego -SANCO Services LPExpand biofuel and compost operation to recycle more organic waste, +8 jobs775,000 tons$10,000,000
San Joaquin -Forward, Inc.Expand existing compost facility, + 3 jobs467,000 tons$5,167,510
Santa Barbara - Foodbank of Santa Barbara - Santa MariaInstall an in-vessel composter at warehouse321 tons$500,000
Santa Barbara - Foodbank of Santa Barbara - GoletaInstall an in-vessel composter at warehouse301 tons$500,000
Shasta - Anderson Landfill, Inc.Build a composting operation at the landfill, +8 jobs122,000 tons$10,000,000
Shasta -City of ReddingUpgrade wastewater treatment plant to recycle food waste, +1 job40,000 tons$10,000,000
Sonoma -Republic Services of Sonoma County, Inc.Install and operate de-packager to recycle more food waste, +2 jobs452,833 tons$2,461,423
Ventura -AgrominExpand existing composting facility, +26 jobs681,000 tons$10,000,000
Yolo -Northern Recycling, LLCExpand composting operations at the landfill, +7 jobs330,000 tons$10,000,000
Yolo -UC DavisUpgrade biofuel facility to recycle more food waste75,000 tons$4,819,324
23 Projects+114 Jobs7,735,923 tons kept out of landfills$130.6 million


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