California Waste Diversion Up 51 Percent In Last Two Years

SACRAMENTO—Recycling, waste prevention, and composting efforts by California cities and counties are paying off. According to the California Integrated Waste Management Board--a part of the California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA)--local diversion programs kept 28 million tons of material out of landfills in 2000, a dramatic leap of 9.5 million tons (51 percent) over 1998 levels. Since 1990, Californians have diverted 167.5 million tons of waste from disposal.

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"This remarkable success is a direct reflection of the innovative and dedicated efforts of California’s local governments, businesses and citizens to keep recyclable and reusable materials out of the state’s overburdened landfills," said Waste Board Chair Linda Moulton-Patterson.

In 1989, the California Integrated Waste Management Act (AB 939 by Senator Byron Sher) put California at the forefront of environmental protection and solid waste reduction with an ambitious agenda to reduce the amount of trash going to landfills by 50 percent in 2000. The Waste Board estimates the 2000 statewide diversion rate at 42 percent, well above the national rate, which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency pegged at 28 percent for 1999. California’s 1999 statewide rate was 37 percent.

Moulton-Patterson predicts the state will reach the goal set in AB 939. "We will get to 50 percent, most likely next year," she said. "With so many new programs coming online in recent years--especially ones targeting organics, construction and demolition materials--the Board has been confident that the diversion rate would rise. The addition of nearly 10 million tons of annual diversion in the past two years is convincing evidence of the vitality of California’s new materials handling infrastructure."

"Waste diversion in California has more than quadrupled since 1989 through the Board’s stewardship of the AB 939 program," said Secretary for Environmental Protection Winston Hickox. "Cal/EPA’s most important accomplishment has been the Waste Board's outstanding work over the past decade to fulfill Senator Sher’s vision in creating the 50 percent benchmark."

Local governments have worked diligently with citizens and the business community to significantly increase their recycling, reuse and waste prevention practices in response to AB 939. Programs ranging from curbside pickups and drop-off centers to green waste collection, municipal composting, and more are responsible for waste reduction successes throughout the state. The new rate also reflects the Waste Board’s continued focus on providing tools and assistance to local jurisdictions to achieve higher diversion rates.

California’s 42 percent waste diversion rate is especially significant in the face of the state’s booming economy and rising population, which have contributed to a 47 percent increase in waste generation since 1989. As a result of the state’s strong diversion effort, however, waste disposal rose only slightly in 2000.

"Over the last decade, California’s citizens and business leaders have come to see the value of recovering materials from our waste stream," Moulton-Patterson said. "Reducing, reusing, and recycling waste, and buying recycled-content products benefit us all by minimizing the environmental impacts of disposal. That’s a winning effort for environmental protection and the conservation of our precious natural resources."

Table 1: Estimated California Solid Waste Tonnages and Diversion Rates

The six-member Integrated Waste Management Board is responsible for protecting the public's health and safety and the environment through management of the estimated 66 million tons of solid waste generated in California each year. The Board's mandate is to work in partnership with local government, industry, and the public to reduce waste disposal and ensure environmentally safe landfills.

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