Reducing Methane Is Everyone’s Business

A worldwide heat wave in June

set off alarms for climate watchers around the globe and produced a collection of frightening headlines. Among them:

• “Billions of people just felt the deadly intensity of climate-fueled heat waves” – Washington Post, June 22, 2024 
• “Well beyond the U.S., heat and climate extremes are hitting billions” – New York Times, June 21, 2024

While food waste recycling is now the law in the state, headlines like these should inspire all Californians to pitch in where they can. And when businesses and individuals follow the state’s food waste recycling requirements, they help lower production of a so-called “super pollutant”: methane. And reducing methane is the quickest way to fight climate change, officials say.

Methane is caused by anaerobic decomposition of organic waste,

like food scraps, in landfills. It is 84 times more potent than carbon dioxide when it comes to global warming, according to the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, or CalRecycle.

A May 2023 report by the nonprofit, nonpartisan Environmental Integrity Project – “Trashing the Climate: Methane from Municipal Landfills” – said Americans throw out about 40 percent of their food. 

“Food waste, in particular, is a growing problem that can be addressed,” the report said. 

Recognizing this, California in 2016 passed Senate Bill 1383, which added food materials to the list of landscaping, agricultural and other green waste that should be recycled by commercial and residential customers. It went into effect on Jan. 1, 2022.

Harrison Industries began a pilot program for commercial food waste recycling

years ago. The program has continued to evolve and expand these past two years, thanks to your participation and help from our cities, counties and business partners Agromin and Gold Coast Recycling.

Under SB 1383, commercial customers must recycle all their organic waste, including food waste, unless they have a waiver. Among business requirements:

• Businesses must either subscribe to and participate in recycling and organics curbside collection service OR self-haul recyclables and organic waste to a recycling or composting facility. 
• Businesses must ensure they have adequate access to both recycling and organics recycling services for their employees, contractors, customers and tenants, including supplying and allowing access to an adequate number, size and location of containers with either sufficient labeling or appropriate color.
• All businesses except for multifamily properties must provide recycling and organics recycling bins next to each trash bin (except in restrooms) for their employees, contractors, tenants and customers to use.
• Businesses must annually provide information to employees, contractors, tenants and customers about waste diversion requirements and about the proper sorting of waste. Businesses must prohibit their employees from placing organic waste and recyclables in the wrong bins.
• Businesses must inspect trash, recycling and organic waste bins for contamination on a quarterly basis. If waste collection bins are found to be contaminated, employees need to be informed of the requirement to sort waste properly.
• A business may seek approval from its municipality for a waiver if it generates a minimal amount of paper, cardboard and organic waste or if it doesn’t have adequate space for recycling and organic waste bins.

Every business customer of Harrison must participate in the recycling program. If you haven’t signed up, contact us immediately to determine your individual requirements and waiver eligibility. Email Harrison Contract Compliance Field Supervisor Donald Sealund at donalds@ejharrison.com or Contract Compliance Manager Daniel Harrison at danielh@ejharrison.com. 

For more information about food waste recycling and the state legislation that mandates it, visit ejharrison.com/food-waste.