WM, formerly known as Waste Management, and Santa Barbara County have begun service on an agreement for solid-waste collection that includes compliance with the new state law (Senate Bill 1383), which concerns organics.
The new service began on July 1 and requires that customers separate organic waste from their regular trash and place it in a container for pick up.
For customers in the Santa Ynez Valley, there is a process and partnership with Santa Barbara County.
Residents subscribing to service from WM should continue to place their organic food waste in their trash container, according to a news release. Yard waste should continue to be placed in the green container, where this waste will be ground into mulch. The county Public Works Department’s ReSource Center recovers organic waste, like food scraps, from trash. This material is then transformed into compost and clean energy.
In May, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors approved the new agreement with WM, which included new rates and compliance with the state law. SB 1383 requires that jurisdictions provide curbside collection of separated organic waste to all residents and businesses.
“We are happy to collaborate with the County of Santa Barbara as it fulfills the new organic waste collection regulations,” Stacy Walters, WM’s district manager, said in the news release. “As a company, we’re constantly seeking the best ways to service our customers while delivering the best value and smartest solutions in waste reduction.”
According to CalRecycle, organic matter makes up half of what Californians send to landfills. Because organics, such as food scraps and yard trimmings, release methane while decomposing, the new law aims to reduce the amount buried in landfills. Each jurisdiction must decrease its volume by 75% by the year 2025.
The collected organic waste will then be recycled to create biofuel, electricity and soil amendments. Local governments will also be required to use the products made from the recycled organic materials, such as renewable energy, compost and mulch.
For more information, residents and businesses can visit wm.com/us/local/ca/santa-barbara/residential?cmp=ag_home_2022-07-12_usa_ca_santa_barbara or the Santa Barbara County website, www.lessismore.org.
email: kzehnder@newspress.com
