2001 Annual Report: Organics

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• Landscape Management
• Food Scrap Management
• Compost/Mulch Source List
• Nursery Compost Use
• Organics Partnerships
• Biennial Infrastructure Survey
• Grant Funding Pilot Project
• Best Management Practices (BMPs) for Compostable Materials

Landscape Management
Leaves, grass, prunings, and yard trimmings make up over 10 percent of the materials landfilled in California. Encouraging the adoption and use of resource efficient landscaping practices to reduce generation of these materials is a major Board priority.

The Board funded several landscape management projectsin 2001 that promoted the adoption and use of resource-efficient landscaping practices. These included partnerships with local government on projects in the San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento River Delta, Inland Empire, and Orange County that reduce green waste, conserve water, and minimize nonpoint source pollution. Professional landscapers are a primary target audience for these projects. More than 150 professionals attended two landscape management workshops held in Lodi in 2001: “Surviving the Changing Laws of Landscape Maintenance” in September, and “Pesticide/Greenwaste Reduction Using Integrated Pest Management” in November.

One budding example of landscape management can be found in Sacramento’s very own backyard. The Capitol Park project represents a partnership between the Board and the Department of General Services (DGS) to assess various landscaping practices, including irrigation, fertilization, pruning, pesticide usage, types of equipment used, and green material generation, on the State Capitol grounds.

Cooperative activities with various agencies and organizations enable the Board to leverage resources and continue promotional activities that reduce greenwaste generation.

In 2002, the Board plans additional efforts that reduce California’s greenwaste and, at the same time, divert generated landscaping materials to markets that reuse them to further minimize the quantity of green waste disposed in landfills yearly.

Food Scrap Management
Nearly 16 percent of California's waste stream consists of food scraps. As many jurisdictions, institutions, and commercial businesses plan food diversion programs, the Board continues to develop resource and educational tools to help divert this material from landfills. The Board continued to develop resources and market outreach efforts in 2001 that included:

• Holding four food scrap diversion workshops serving local government, private business, schools and other organizations in 14 counties.
• Participating in an on-line food diversion forum panel for the National Recycling Coalition.
• Coordinating food scrap sessions at the 2002 Biocycle West conference in San Francisco.
• Creating an Access database that can provide examples of food scrap management programs based on location, the types of technologies or processes they employ, diversion rates, and economics, as well as contact information.
• Developing a food diversion resource guide as a template for regional food diversion efforts, and other outreach materials, including case studies, fact sheets, and reference materials.
• Continuing to maintain and update the Food Scrap Management Web site.

Compost/Mulch Source List
The Board’s compost and mulch source list identifies businesses that market organic material products in California. Applications were mailed in 2001 to 260 established businesses to collect current and accurate information about primary distribution points for their products, feedstock used, annual production, and available products. The new, updated list now enables potential buyers of bulk organic materials to search for businesses that supply such products by county or region.

Nursery Compost Use
In conjunction with the California Association of Nurserymen and the California Cut Flower Commission, the Board surveyed more than 100 wholesale nurseries in California about compost use and perceived barriers to increased use. A fact sheet based on the survey results was developed describing the benefits of using compost in California nurseries and the characteristics nursery operators should consider when choosing a particular type of compost and applying it to their stock.

A session on nursery compost use will be presented at the March 2002 Biocycle West conference. This workshop will bring composters and wholesale nursery operators together to discuss compost characteristics required by nurseries for their specialized growing regimes.

Organics Partnerships
Several organics-related partnership projects were initiated in 2001 by the Board. Examples include:

• Resource-efficient landscaping to reduce green waste, conserve water, reduce pesticide use, and minimize nonpoint source pollution (with the State Water Resources Control Board, Department of Water Resources, and U.S. EPA).
• Increased procurement of urban-derived compost and mulch for erosion control with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans).
• Eliminating persistent herbicides in compost (with the Department of Pesticide Regulation and industry).

Partnerships with government and industry will continue to be a key strategy for promoting the use of urban compost and mulch products. The Board will:

• Work with Caltrans and the compost industry to track compost and mulch procurement by the department.
• Pursue a California Landscape Contractors Association (CLCA) partnership to provide educational materials on resource efficient landscape management practices to their membership. Board staff will conduct a resource-efficient landscape seminar at CLCA’s 2002 annual landscape industry show in Long Beach.
• Fund a project with Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, College of Architecture and Environmental Design to develop a sustainable environmental design education program. The program would serve as an education module in university degrees and building and landscape architecture industry continuing education programs. The proposed program would teach students to design buildings and landscapes that conserve energy and water, prevent waste and pollution, and provide markets for recycled building and landscape products.

Biennial Infrastructure Survey
The Board completed the first survey of California’s compost and mulch-producing industry in 2001. In October the Board allocated additional funding to conduct surveys related to the organics recycling industry, including a second assessment of California's compost- and mulch-producing infrastructure.

Grant Funding Pilot Project
In November 2001, the Board approved a pilot program to systematically seek funding from federal and other State sources for organic materials management research and demonstration projects administered by local jurisdictions and/or businesses. As part of the pilot program, the Board targeted a select number of external grant programs, solicited and selected partners from local jurisdictions and the business sector, and committed resources to work with these partners in developing grant proposals. A key feature of the program is that the external grant program would award funds directly to the selected partner(s) for a specific project. The Board would not be a recipient of grant funds, nor would it be a party to the grant.

Best Management Practices (BMP) for Compostable Materials
Composting activities are an important step in the Board’s goal to get California to reduce and recycle organics in the waste stream. Staff continues efforts to coordinate with industry, LEAs, and local and State government agencies in developing best management practices (BMP) and odor mitigation measures to satisfy the requirements of SB 675 (Costa, Chapter 778, Statutes of 1997). Odor-based BMPs integrate feedstock handling with composting methods to promote a greater degree of aerobic activity. Operators have contributed valuable insights with their varied operations.

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