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Organics Market Development Indicators

Organic Materials Measurement & Analysis Project

One of the challenges of a public agency promoting market development in a competitive industry context is determining the effectiveness of its programs and activities above and beyond private industry efforts. Because information about effectiveness is critical in strategic planning, the Organic Materials Measurement and Analysis project was developed to quantify the Board's organic materials management (OMM) activities to make inferences about market impact.  Using selected indicators as a measure of OMM’s effectiveness in market development activities, OMM plans to use these indicators to (1) determine which activities are yielding the most result for the allocated resources, (2) determine where resources should be redirected to achieve greater program effectiveness, (3) determine how activities or programs can be reworked to achieve broader message saturation, and (4) identify evolving trends, gaps, and opportunities in the marketplace and target future programs to match those opportunities. 

Marketplace Indicators
One of the Waste Board's goals is to help create and develop markets for organic materials that otherwise would have been sent to landfills. As part of its efforts in this area, the Board collects data on indicators that show trends in the compost and mulch industry, local government programs related to organic materials, and the like. The links below show data on these indicators in graphical form. These indicators will continue to be updated as new data is collected, and new indicators will also be developed.

In addition, these indicators are being used by the Board to learn about the impact of its programs on the development of organic materials markets. See the organic materials measurement and analysis project overview for a more detailed description.

  • Compost Sales Indicator: Shows total amounts of organic products (compost, mulch, wood chips, etc.) sold to various market segments (i.e. agriculture, horticulture, municipal, etc.) over time.
  • Local Waste Diversion Indicator: Shows number and types of local organic waste diversion programs implemented over time.
  • Compost/Mulch Producer Indicator: Shows change over time in number of compost and mulch producers that are listed with the Waste Board’s Compost and Mulch source list.
  • RMDZ Loans Indicator: Shows amounts of RMDZ loans allocated to organics facilities projects in a given year.
  • Permitted Composters Indicator: Shows the number of active, permitted composting operations and facilities in the various permit tiers.
  • California Heartland Web "Hits" Indicator: Shows the number of "hits" or visits to the CIWMB Web site originating from the KVIE public television station "California Heartland" Web site.

Landscape Management Outreach Effectiveness
The majority of greenwaste (i.e. tree and shrub trimmings, grass clippings, leaves, etc.) generated from urban landscapes comes from the actions of the professional landscape industry. Consequently, the Board has undertaken a series of Landscape Management Outreach Program (LMOP) activities designed to prevent excessive greenwaste generation, increase diversion from landfills and promote the use of compost and mulch made from urban derived greenwaste materials. Board staff has conducted a series of surveys among participants at major landscape industry trade shows and expositions in both Northern and Southern California starting in the 1998-2000 season (annual trade show season runs from October to April). Surveys results are tabulated in the following charts.

Contact: Brian Larimore

 

Last updated: August 29, 2008


Organic Materials Management http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/Organics/
Pat Paswater: PPaswater@ciwmb.ca.gov (916) 341-6593