Vision: Diversion

A Home for All Compostable Organic Materials

What was the "Greening Team?"
The Greening Team was a select group of Board staff assigned to develop a performance plan for diverting compostable organic materials from California's landfills. The team's vision was to find "a home for all compostable organic materials," with a goal of diverting 5 to 7 million more tons of organic materials from landfills each year. This page summarizes the history regarding creation of the team and the ensuing plan's targets, and gives links to additional information about the CIWMB's organic materials management activities.

Background
Over 30 percent of California's solid waste stream consists of compostable organic materials.  These include yard or landscape materials, such as leaves, grass, bush and tree trimmings; wood waste, such as heavy branches and stumps; food scraps; crop residues; and other miscellaneous materials. Unfortunately, most is still sent to landfills--in fact, 35 percent of what was landfilled in 1999 consisted of organic materials, according to the California Integrated Waste Management Board's latest waste characterization study. Because of their prevalence, these materials are both a major opportunity and a barrier in efforts by local jurisdictions to comply with the diversion requirements of California's Integrated Waste Management Act (AB 939, enacted in 1989).   So, in 1997, the Board designated compostable organic materials as a priority for increased efforts to divert materials from landfills. 

Systems Approach to Organic Materials Diversion
The approach implemented by the Greening Team focused on nature's organics "system."  (See a visual represention of the "organic system"). This system starts with Mother Nature and extends into our homes, yards, parks, orchards, and workplaces. Many opportunities exist to reduce the generation of organic materials, for example by grasscycling. Once organic materials are generated, they can be used beneficially onsite where they were created. If not used onsite, they are collected and either sent to landfills or recovered by processors and manufacturers who transform them into compost, mulch, and other products. Diversion and use of these materials greatly reduces environmental impacts at landfills and yields benefits such as soil revitalization, erosion control, and water conservation. This natural cycle was used to identify where organic materials are generated and where programs could be implemented to stop waste and better use this resource.

Greening Team Targets
The Greening Team identified six areas in the organics system as major targets for diversion or prevention. In planning and implementing activities to address these targets, the team also recognized the importance of working with its partners in local and State government, the recycling and manufacturing sectors, and agriculture and other sectors. For more detailed information about CIWMB organic materials programs and activities, please return to the Organics Outlook home page and click on the specific topics that interest you.

• Target 1--Increase on-site management of commercial and residential landscape trimmings and residential food scraps by approximately 1.1 million tons by 2000. Initially, the purpose of all CIWMB projects was to target regions in California generating the most grass, develop regional grasscycling promotional campaigns, and have at least one-half of the jurisdictions in the regions participating in the campaigns. Projects have now expanded to include targeting urban communities and commercial landscapers who generate large amounts of green waste refuse. (see Target 5)
• Target 2--Decrease waste of commercial and institutional food by approximately 0.3 million tons by 2000.
• Target 3--Improve feedstock quality to increase the marketability of products made from compostable organic materials.
• Target 4--Develop a regulatory framework that protects public health and the environment and increases business opportunities for recycling of compostable organic materials.
• Target 5--Increase use of compost and mulch used in landscaping and related applications by 1.5–2 million tons (representing 2-3 million tons of feedstock) by 2000. The Board's plan calls for increasing the availability and use of specifications and guidelines, increasing the number of registered compost producers, and initiating 10 new "partnership" projects in landscaping and erosion control.  Current Partnership Projects below to get descriptions of current CIWMB projects related to erosion control and the availability of compost/mulch specifications.
• Target 6--Increase the amount of compost and mulch used in agriculture by 1.5-2 million tons (representing 2-3 million tons of feedstock) by 2000. The Board's plan calls for establishing 10 new "partnership" projects with University of California, growers, local government agencies, agricultural organizations and compost/mulch producers. Click on Current Partnership Projects to get descriptions of current CIWMB projects related to agriculture.  Information is also available on Past Demonstration Projects.

Contact: Jerry Berumen

Organics home page

Last updated: August 29, 2008