In the Garden with UC Master Gardeners
An informative garden podcast hosted by University of California Master Gardeners of Orange. Podcasts cover home horticulture, pest management and sustainable landscape practices. Listen to researched based information on all things gardening.
In the Garden with UC Master Gardeners
Compost and Organic Waste
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California is almost ten years into the legislation, planning, and implementation of one of the most significant environmental plans ever developed. Senate Bill 1383 was passed in 2016 with the goal of diverting methane-producing organic waste from California’s landfills. This week on In the Garden with UC Master Gardeners, our intrepid host and Master Gardener Bill Brooks met up with David Tieu, Central Region Deputy Director of OC Waste and Recycling recently to talk about what the regulations mean for residents of Orange County and beyond. This is a show we are calling Composting and Organic Waste in Orange County. Your city may have already started a waste bin system requiring the household to separate its waste three ways. The bottom line for the discussion of organic waste is this – It is illegal to put organic waste in the landfill bin. Waste management companies have been turning your household green waste into thousands of tons of certified disease and weed-free compost and mulch! And then, they provide the finished product back to residents for pick up so we can replenish our gardens! This mulch and compost is free of charge. You can leave the composting to your trash haulers if you don’t want to deal with composting yourself! Regardless of the state you live in, many municipalities across the country are implementing programs like Orange County’s.
Welcome to another edition of In the Garden with Master Gardeners of Orange County. I'm your host, Bill Brooks, University of California Master Gardener. Today we're coming from the Frank Bowerman landfill here in Irvine, so you might hear a lot of noise in the background because this is a noisy place. A lot of trucks come in and out of here. We're going to talk to trash today, I guess you could say, as we look at California's organic waste loss in Bill 1383. Generally speaking, gardeners are aware of organic waste because we generate a lot of it. Many gardeners actively seek to manage sustainable ways of dealing with this waste, particularly through compost and mulching. And today we have David II from the Orange County Waste Management to talk to us about California's relatively new Senate Bill, 1383. Actually, it's not relatively new. It was passed a while ago, but this is the year 2025 when it fully goes into effect. And this may help some of the organic waste problems here in California. So welcome, David. Please tell us a little bit about yourself and your position, Orange County Waste Management and Recycling.
SPEAKER_00Well, good afternoon, Bill. It is a pleasure to join you and your listeners for this podcast. Thank you very much for the invitation. At OC Waste and Recycling, I am the Deputy Director for the Central Region Landfill operations, and in addition, I oversee the organics program for the county. On a personal level, gardening is certainly near and dear to my heart. As a kid, my family did a lot of backyard gardening as well as farming. My father was actually a farmer in Southeast Asia where he learned to live off the land. That meant him growing his own vegetables and fruits as well as catching his own food. And so growing up in the States, you know, on the weekends, you know, we had to tend to the garden just because, you know, there wasn't a type of foods that was available when it comes to our type of cuisines. And so we had to grow our own vegetables, spices, and herbs. And so we did a lot of gardening when we were kids.
SPEAKER_01And that's good because composting and gardening, the two of them go hand in hand. So back in 2016, Senate Bill 1383 was passed to reduce methane emissions generated in California. And methane, as many of you may know, is a greenhouse gas. So a good starting point for our conversation today is to talk about how a landfill generates methane gas.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, that's a really uh great question, you know, particularly as far as trying to reduce the amount of methane that's coming from our landfills. And so here at OC Waste and Recycling, we're responsible for managing all the solid waste here in Orange County. We also take some waste from outside the county as well. And so out of California's 58 counties, we're actually the third largest receiver of waste, and we operate the largest landfill system here in Southern California. That's amazing. Yeah, so right now we handle just over 5 million tons of material each year. And it's not just about burying trash, but we also put a big focus on recycling and diversion programs, especially with laws like SB 1383, which requires us to keep organic waste out of the landfills. And here's why that matters. When organic material such as food scraps or yard waste breaks down into a landfill, it generates gas, specifically methane gas. And so we do capture that gas and we either burn it off or safely put it in good usage by generating electricity. But in addition to generating electricity, we're also in the process of developing renewable natural gas facilities, which will also assist in transforming that additional methane gas into renewable energy back into our communities. But Bill, the truth is that landfills, they're a finite resource. And so here in Orange County, we only have three left. We have one in Brea, one in Irvine, and one in San Capuchano. And once those landfills reach capacity, there is a high likelihood that there won't be any more landfills built in the county. And so that's why recycling and composting and really finding new uses for waste are so critical to be able to extend the life of our existing sites.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I can imagine that. And so I know our landfills are um are they filling up. And we modern humans, we generate a lot of waste. In fact, what really bugs me is a lot of times when I buy things that aren't for food, it's it's packaged like food. So what's being I you touched a little bit about this. Tell me some more about what's being done in Orange County to help reduce waste.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so within Orange County, most cities and the county and corporate areas have completed the rollout of organic and recycling collection systems. And so that means that residents they have three separate containers, one for solid waste, right? One for recycling, also one for organic waste. The new bin that's coming into play is really the green bin or the organic waste. And so having three separate waste streams really allows for the increased diversion and recycling efforts. Uh businesses are also required to have these additional containers to beat the requirements of SB 1383. So, in conjunction with this rollout, all jurisdictions and their haulers have launched education and outreach campaigns to ensure that all the residents and businesses are aware of the new laws and that the additional cards that they will be receiving will be provided to them so they can dispose of each material correctly. And then once the collections are completed, the haulers working with the cities are required to process the material per the requirements of the law. And so the recycling materials are sorted, and they're essential recycling facilities and also to organic facilities that are approved to take this material that are then be able to produce it into the compost and mulch and renewable energy.
SPEAKER_01Very interesting. I mean, and it's so cool what what is being done and the fact that there is not much, at least for me, that I'm sending to the solid waste landfill anymore. So our state is required to reduce organic waste disposal. The deadline was 50% by 2020, which is long past. But this year, in 2025, it's to 75%. So is Orange County there? Tell us a little bit about how Orange County might be meeting those goals.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, that's a very important question, and that's really the crux of SB 1383. And so understanding the impact of the legislation, OC waste and recycling has made a huge shift, meaning that we've actually moved from simply landfilling waste to focusing on resource recovery. And so in the last few years, we've actually built and now we operate organic processing facilities at all three of our county landfills. And so these facilities they ensure the long term that local infrastructure is there to support our region for the near future and for future generations by being able to take organic material and also being able to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. And these facilities will be here long after the landfill closes because they will reach capacity. And so I'm very proud to say that we've met the requirements of SB 1383 for both the residents and businesses in the county unincorporated. That means people have access to the services that we're providing to be able to take their food scraps and their green waste, and instead of burying it, we can then produce it into a recyclable material. In addition to diverting the organic material from the landfills, each jurisdiction is required to procure a specific amount of recovered organic material annually. And so this is how it's going to work. Where, you know, we're actually creating the recycling markets, right? So we create the collection programs, but each jurisdiction has to then procure a certain amount of material that has to go back to their residents and their communities. So it's that circularity that we are creating. And I'm glad to report that we've been able to meet that requirement, but we've also been able to help a lot of jurisdictions meet that requirement, you know, as well. Um and so when you look at the environmental benefit, right, what does that really mean? Well, it means reducing greenhouse gas emissions. And we know that here in Southern California, cleaning the air is very important. And so what we've been able to do, if we were to say in terms of equivalency, that's basically removing about 3,000 vehicles per year off the red level.
SPEAKER_01That's amazing. And that's really good news. So with this bill, I I've heard, and and this may be true or not, that it's illegal to put what is organic waste into the landfill receptacle. Is that true?
SPEAKER_00Yes, it is. So under SB 1383, it's against the law in California to toss organic waste, things like banana peels, pizza crusts, or yard trimmings, into your regular trash bin. But here's the key. The goal isn't to punish people, it's a learning process, and we know it takes time to adjust. And so in the county unincorporated, uh, before we start to find anyone, uh, residents and businesses will then get reminders, they'll get warnings, and then plenty of educational resources to be able to help them sort the materials and make it so that it's very simple and clear. Right? We're not here to punish folks. And so each city or jurisdiction employs its own ordinance for compliance so that residents and businesses should be familiar with those specific requirements, working with their city to make sure that the waste is placed in the correct bin.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and and and that's like what we're here to do today, too, is to start providing this education to let our listeners and the public know uh about how this happens. So I'm assuming that's education, as you said, about organic waste, but will this ever be enforced with the ticket? And if so, how might that happen?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, that's that's right. Um, you know, one thing with SB 1383 is that it does have teeth, right? So we want to go through the education phase, but at some point, um, you know, there will be a point of where you know we need to do enforcement. And so most cities and haulers they are working very closely with their residents and businesses to teach them as to what goes into the organic bins. But this is how enforcement works, and that is um your waste hauler in your city is required to actually check the bins along their routes. And so they find contamination, say plastic bags that's mixed in with your food scraps or your yard waste or maybe food scraps or yard waste that's in your uh trash bin, then you actually get a notice, right, explaining that what went wrong and then how to go about fixing it. And if the problem persists, right, then penalties can be applied to consumers. And so this could be fines for non-compliance, and in some cases, denial of services for bins that remain contaminated. But again, the main focal point here is to help people learn and make the changes before it gets to that point.
SPEAKER_01So are they filming this or are they sending inspectors out or both?
SPEAKER_00Correct. That's what they're doing.
SPEAKER_01So they have like a camera mounted as the arm brings the the container up and they get a look at what's you're putting into your landfill. And that would also, too, which is important, keep toxic things out, like you know, gasoline and and other uh insecticides that of course we tell people to take to the uh proper disposal. And there's one here in Irvine, right here at the landfill in the city of Irvine operates another one. So um I think that's an important part, and and that's how that's being done. That's correct. Okay, so that that's good. So, in addition to kitchen waste that normally goes into a compost pile, which is your vegetables and your greens and your potato peels, in the organic waste bin, you can put meat, fat, oil, and cheese. These all go in the green can. Now, if you were a home composter, we all know that that would foul a home compost. So, how do you how does that work? How does it work you being able to take it and tell us about that? That's interesting.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, that that is interesting. And so you're right, you know, at home, um, you know, things like meat and cheese and oils, um, they're very difficult and they don't really belong in the backyard composting pile. If you can do it, you know, my kudos to you, right? My house to you. But certainly, you know, they can attract uh odors and pests, and they don't break down very well. So what happens is that when these items actually go into your organic's waste bin, they're sent to a commercial composting facility similar to ones that we operate here at the county. And so that's a whole different system. And what I mean by that is that these facilities they reach a very high temperature that can actually break down safely the meats and the fats and the dairy while also killing off any harmful uh pathogens. Um they also can handle much larger volumes of material, which keeps the process moving uh forward and very efficiently. And so they're designed with odor and pest control in mind. And while those items are no-nos when it comes to your backyard composting, they're actually perfectly fine for our commercial large-scale facilities.
SPEAKER_01Wow, that that's that's incredible. So I imagine that this system, when the material goes in, it's enclosed so that it doesn't uh uh you don't get the vermin and you can bring the temperature up and you can compile uh you can compost it differently. So in this case, when when the waste hauler picks up my green bin, does it go here to Irvine or are there other sites where this material is processed?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so when the uh waste hauler uh services your organic bins, it will be taken to an approved SB1383 organic processing facility that's been certified by the state. Um and then depending on the facilities taken to, some haulers will also take the material to a pre-processing facility to remove any type of contaminants and then also grind the material down, right? And so making sure that that fee stock is as clean as possible. You can imagine that sometimes there are other things that we find in the organic things that should not be there. But then once it gets cleaned up, it will leave the pre-processing facility and it'll be taken to a composting facility where then we let Mother Nature do her thing, it breaks the material down, we keep it at a very high temperature, and then we turn it into that nutrient-rich compost or mulch. Or it can also be sent to a renewable energy facility where it'll be used to produce fuels and electricity.
SPEAKER_01So if they're if it's going to a renewable facility and it's it's being used to make electricity, the material that's that's left after the burning process, and I I heard it's using anaerobic bacteria. Is that some of what it does in the system?
SPEAKER_00Well, it's actually well, yes, there's two processes for composting. It's gonna be aerobic. But then if it's in a digester, then it's gonna be anaerobic.
SPEAKER_01Okay, and so the material that comes out of the digester, what is then done with that?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, actually, so that's what we call like digestiate, and then um that is material that can actually be further composted as well.
SPEAKER_01So then that then that's something that can then turn back into. And I imagine then that can go to California farms and um it can probably be wholesaled out and then be reused again.
SPEAKER_00That is correct. That is correct. Yes. So it's a full cycle.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and it that's completely awesome because one of the you know, Americans they love convenience. You know, we love something and use it and throw it away, and we have to get back to an older style of thinking. Back in the earlier part of the 20th century, we had a milkman that brought milk and glass bottles, and we had all of this packaging that we really didn't throw away. We reused it. And we're getting back to that point. Yes. Because as you say, we're drowning in trash. We're we're filling our areas up, and we can't build a new landfill because no one wants to live next door to one.
SPEAKER_00Plus, it's very difficult here in California to build a new landfill.
SPEAKER_01I I can imagine. So I've noticed going into the grocery store, as probably everybody has, is that the plastic bags that we put our produce and meat in is this uh now compostable material. It says it's a greenish bag, and I know that's another state law that requires that, but it's a greenish bag. It says compostable bag. Can those bags go in the organic waste bin?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, that's a really uh common question, and I think we want to believe that. Uh some produce bags are labeled as compostable, but that doesn't always mean that they actually belong in your green organic bin. And so here's the issue. You know, even compostable bags, they don't always break down at the same rate, even at commercial composting facilities. And so the only ones that can actually be handled by commercial facilities are the ones that are certified compostable. And so what you want to do is look for the BPI, which stands for biodegradable products institute logo. And so many others use the word compostable or biodegradable very loosely, and if they end up in the bin, they actually can contaminate the whole load. And so the best rule of thumb is this, and that is if you're not sure, leave the bag out and just put in the food straps directly into the organics bin.
SPEAKER_01Okay, so leave the bag out, and the emblem you talked about, that's the three uh arrows that kind of go in a triangular shape that's we find on plastic materials. Is that the logo?
SPEAKER_00No, it's actually a very different logo. This this logo, it's actually will say BPI on it. Sometimes you may see it also on uh foodware, you know, uh compostable plates, things of that nature as well. So it actually will say BPI. So it's a little bit different than the uh the triangular arrows that you're referring to.
SPEAKER_01So it's it's got that B that BP stamp on it. Correct. So that material then should go in my recycling can rather than my solid waste can.
SPEAKER_00Uh it will go into uh for like those bags or labels compostable. Uh they actually will just go into your um uh you know your black bin, your landfill bin. Those are not recyclable.
SPEAKER_01But they're not recyclable, but when it get when they're buried, then it composts easier than plastic does.
SPEAKER_00Yes, it will break down within the landfill.
SPEAKER_01Within the landfill. I see that's how that works. So that's that's where you should put that material. So let's say I was deep frying a batch of chicken tenders and I had uh a quart of oil left. How do I put that in my green waste bin without it running on the ground?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, no, that's uh that's a very common question as well. And so, you know, one of the things is that we talk about, and that is when it talks about like food scraps and oils, things of that nature as well. Um, you know, you want to kind of layer it in, so to speak, with your uh other type of organic material, like say with green waste, right? And so if you layer it in, it'll kind of help with being able to absorb it, because that's one of the great things about uh grass clippings and also uh you know, lawn cookings, things of that nature as well. It will act as a sponge and it'll absorb that.
SPEAKER_01So wait, so maybe save it in a bottle, wait until my green fill or green waste is filled, and then gently pour it out and stir it in so it kind of absorbs.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, exactly.
SPEAKER_01It's something I wouldn't want to do in my home compost pile, but in my organic bin pile. That works.
SPEAKER_00You can try and see how successful it is.
SPEAKER_01It really does because our our the backyard gardeners at compost just don't have the space to allow that kind of decomp to go on. And two, we don't want our backyard composters to deal with anaerobic bacteria because of the viruses and things that are associated with that kind of composting. So that anaerobic composting needs to be done by professionals, and our our homeowners and our home backyard composters should deal with aerobic composting, which is the bacteria things that generally, when they get hot enough, which we'll talk about later in the show, are not harmful to humans. So that's that's something that we um that we want to look at. So I know people are going to be concerned about the smell and attractiveness to vermin that some organic waste like meat generates. So, how do we keep it sanitary and odor-free? I know one method my dad used to use is he would put all of the those food scraps in the freezer and freeze them, and then on the day that the bins are picked up to put them in the bin, and by freezing it, that would would keep it out. Do you do you have other ideas or techniques for um for keeping it if you have a week to wait till your uh w refuse is picked up that you know it doesn't attract?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah. You know, that's you know, a lot of uh you know, residents are trying to figure out how to do the right thing, right? And that is how do we get the food scraps into their green bin? And so really, you know, the basic change, you know, when you really think about is that residents are now being asked to place the food food waste you know into their green bin versus their black bin. And so residents they can you know take you know various measures to help reduce the odors. Um I know that the haulers they also provide specific information on the bins to help you know make that process a little bit easier. But one common idea is to be able to freeze the food uh you know for leftovers and then safely storage until you actually need to put it into your bins on the days that the trash are being picked up. Um additional recommendations are certainly laying your food waste you know in between your yard waste and also putting it into like paper bags. Um that's also very helpful as well. The paper bags uh or newspapers can also be recycled or also be composted.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, because paper comes from a tree, so that would be considered something that can go in there.
SPEAKER_00Absolutely, absolutely. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01But we don't want to put things like uh used uh tissues in that kind of organic waste because of the germs associated with that. But paper towels might work.
SPEAKER_00Paper towels will work, yes. Okay, yes, absolutely. That's also organic base as well, right? Yeah, that really And it's a great absorbent, right?
SPEAKER_01That's true. It is. What about, say, uh cotton t shirt that's a hundred percent cotton? I guess that would work.
SPEAKER_00Well, that's interesting because it is organic material, but it's a textile. And so not all organic material can be composted, and so we're not at the point where we can start composting you know, t shirts and things of that nature as well. And so there's actually a separate law to deal with textile. Else, which will probably be for a different show, but yeah, uh not yet at this point in time, right?
SPEAKER_01Okay. That sounds awesome to be able to do that. So think of uh think of your papers. Now, what about something that say comes in the mail that's an advertisement and has one of those very shiny finishes on it? Do you does that work in the uh organic waste?
SPEAKER_00You know, ideally for something like that, that would probably be better used in the regular recycling bin, right? But not so much as in the compostable bin, so to speak, or green waste bin.
SPEAKER_01Okay. So part of this bill also is to recover at least 20% of currently disposed surplus edible food, which really doesn't affect homeowners. It would this would be more of a restaurant. Yes. Um so tell us what's happening in that area. How how are how are we doing that?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so uh part of SB 1383 is it requires uh businesses such as large restaurants and grocery stores, hotels, and uh large uh sporting events, event venues, to have agreements in place with edible food recovery organizations. And so this is enforceable by the city as well. And through these agreements, these businesses they will then take that edible food that is unused and then store it for it to be picked up by an edible food recovery organization and food banks. And so these organizations, you know, they do great work and they take the food and they either provide it to those that are in need, uh, to various communities where there's food insecurity, and so they're able to then um you know have measures in place to safely be able to distribute the food so that they can serve hungry families.
SPEAKER_01Oh, that that that is great news, too, that that's happening. That again, this is all things we have to rethink about our waste and our ways of doing things. So, tips for helping people get in the habit of making sure all organic waste goes into the green or organic waste bins. Any tricks that you have to offer?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, um, and you know, we should actually probably write a book on like you know tricks of the trade because I know like some folks have been very creative, but the way I look at it, and that is you know, it's about building new habits, right? And it takes time and it takes efforts. But there are some really simple tricks that can be utilized to make the recycling of organic uh materials uh second nature. And so uh we talked about you know storing the food scraps in the fridge or the freezer, um, and that way it can stay clean and odor-free into your collection day, and then you just simply empty it out into the green waste bin. But also, if you're using a kitchen pail, um you can also reduce the smells by putting in a charcoal filter in the very bottom, or even sprinkling in some coffee grounds. Um, these materials they have the ability to absorb odors. But also other types of food wastes like citrus peels, orange peels, they also work too, and they also double up as a fresh scent that can go right into the compost. Um, we also talked about another easy habit is to be able to line your pail with the newspaper or the paper napkins as well. It helps soak up any liquids and also makes the cleanup much easier so that you can reuse that pail. Um and then when it's time to take it onto the green cart, you know, start with layering it with the yard clippings or the leaves, and then add your food scraps on top and then cover it with more green waste. And so these are just simple things that you can do. And you know, once you kind of get into the habit, right, put in that effort, you know, it becomes a lot easier. And what I always tell families, and that is, you know, start with that simple things first, right, before you get into more complex foods, right? And so the banana peels, uh, the apple cores, you know, start with that, right? Before you get into maybe, you know, the beef stews and the soups and things of that nature, which are much more challenging, right? So it doesn't have to be an all or nothing. But make baby steps, figure out what works for your family, and then grow from that to see what else you can do.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, no, that that makes perfect sense. And I'm seeing now on you know, more on the market, there's a lot of products, pails and bowls and things that you can buy to go in your kitchen so that these things easily go into it. So it's something that, you know, if you're interested in something like that, I'm sure you can look at and find things either in retailers or online. So both landfills uh they compost green waste that is turned into mulch and compost in the traditional method that those of us that do composting on in our own properties know how to do. And compost and mulch is given away free. So let's talk about how I get free stuff. That's always good to know.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, you know, and I would say that's probably Orange County's you know best kept secret, right? Uh-huh. And in this day and age where you know inflation is very high, who doesn't want things that are free? That's right. Right? And so we have uh, as mentioned, three composting facilities located at our landfills. And as you mentioned, they're free of charge, right, to not only residents, but also to businesses. And so we have our uh greeneries that are located here in Irvine, one in San Juan Capistrano, and also one in the city of Brea. Um and really the process to get this material is fairly simple. Uh you can go on to our website, which is at oclandfills.com. There's a section on composting, and you can basically select the location, a date, and time to be able to pick up the material. It's a program that is self-serve, and so when you come on site, you bring your own uh shovel and your containers, and I would say bring a large pickup truck or a vehicle and load up as much as you can.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I I can give a couple tips on this because I do it and I I know. So five-gallon buckets work great, and they will fit in the back of a car. The other thing that works great, and they can be reused, are sandbags or burlap bags, and you can fill those and you take a little twist tie and tie them up, and again, because I'm thinking of people that don't have the pickup truck, because it's nice. I have a pickup truck, so I can just fill my you know truck up and uh and go away. You want to bring gloves, yes, and you want to, and again, your own shovel and your flat bottom shovel works best, and and you can get that material five, six days a week, roughly from I think it's nine in the morning till four or five in the afternoon.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it's from eight to four. Eight to four, correct.
SPEAKER_01Okay, and and and that works, and and that's a really uh it's a good product. And so what you're using for composting, I'm assuming, is the green waste that comes in from landscapers. So it's not fouled with the meats and the organic waste. Is that correct?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, the uh green waste that we compost comes from a number of sources. It comes from gardeners, landscapers, but most of it comes from the residential curbside green waste collection that's collected by the cities and the haulers. And so, you know, instead of that material ending up in the landfills, all that grass couplings, the branches and the leaves, they're brought to our facilities, and then we turn it into uh compost and mulch. And so for us, you know, we're very proud of it because it's really a great example of closing the loop, right? And so what starts out in the yards and in the gardens actually now comes back as form as a product that now also enriches those same gardens, farms, and landscapes.
SPEAKER_01And then I know you also bag it, and several times during the year you have giveaways. And I think is November uh, I think November and May, if I'm recalling, you there's Saturdays in there, you usually do it. And again, you look at the website and it's well advertised. And that's already bagged, like you would get it at the uh at the store. Um, and you you know, people line up to get that, and it's it's it's good stuff. Is that is that correct?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, that's uh correct. So we have um you know twice a year in November, so our next event is scheduled for November the 15th. Okay. Um it coincides with you know Earth Day and whatnot. And so we're all about protecting the environment. And so at each of our uh landfills, our composting facilities, we have bulk material. Um the one at Brea, uh, because they're smaller in size, they don't offer bulk material, but they do offer bag material. Okay. Um and so uh we encourage all the residents to come by. It's gonna be from 8 to 12 o'clock or until we run out of compost material. Uh and so it's a very fun event. We get a lot of families to come out with their kids as well, and they have a blast, right? Uh but I always kind of make fun of that in the sense that you know we hold these events, but again, we do have um, you know, these bins, uh, public bins that people can come in and pick up as well as long as they go through the reservation system, they can pick up compost whenever they want. Whenever they want.
SPEAKER_01And when you do in uh compost giveaway event, we'll make sure that we mention that to our listeners and keep you guys abridged of the of the dates. So let's talk about the difference between so the compost that you provide is very small in particle size, and then the mulch is a little bit larger.
SPEAKER_00Correct.
SPEAKER_01Correct. And what's the quality like?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, the the quality I can tell you that it's um very, very high quality. Um we go through an extensive process to be able to take that material first by renewing removing the contamination, but then also letting Mother Nature break down the material. And so we'll take temperatures, make sure it reaches high temperatures, that kills off all the pathogens, um, and then um you know we'll water it, we'll moisture content it as well. And we do go through that process for about four or five months, okay? Wow, and that's just the additional care that we take. Now, if you look at other facilities, they'll compost the material in about one month or so. But again, we really want to make sure that we're producing a quality product, okay? To let that material break down, clean out the inerts, and then we'll send it to the laboratory. And so our facilities is part of the uh STA program, which stands for Standard of Testing Assurance Program, that is through the U.S. Composting Council, and that just ensures that that material does meet those high quality standards.
SPEAKER_01So, and that's good for our listeners to know because I know I was told by uh by you guys that the number one caller you get from gardeners is about is it safe? And so this is a good thing to know that it does have this deal of testing assurance from the U.S. Composting Council. So we're doing good stuff. And I this summer I have a raised bed and I used almost all compost in it. I I renewed what uh soil I had in there, and I renewed it with the compost and strawberries and tomatoes, which I grew in that bed, did fabulously. So I I will attest to the good quality of the product. So let's talk about large-scale uh gardeners. Uh, I know I'm on an HOA board. So is mulch and compost available to large-scale gardeners and like community gardens? Uh, how do people go about signing up for that?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so um, you know, when we say that the material is free, uh it's free to everyone. Okay, and so it's also free to uh landscapers, to HOAs as well. And so um on our website you can contact, we have a uh program manager that will handle those orders, right? And when it comes to um, you know, bulk orders, as we mentioned, um this is where uh we don't expect them to come to our facility and you know shovel it in, but we will actually load up their vehicle, right? And so as long as they have like like a dump truck or if they have like a trailer and things of that. Yeah, yeah, we'll go ahead and load it up for them as well.
SPEAKER_01Oh, that's that's good news. So they and so they're not gonna sign up in the normal way they're gonna contact.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah. And that and the reason why we do that is it's not really now self-serve, but now we have our operation folks at the composting facilities that'll help load them up. And so we just want to make sure that they have the best experience possible from a customer standpoint, and so we want to make sure that you know we're providing them the amount of material they want, but also the right material, whether it's the compost or whether it's the mulch, or maybe it's uh a mixture, a 50-50 mix.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Oh, that's that's uh good news to know. I know I'm gonna get RHOA to take advantage of that. So prior to Senate Bill 1383, California has passed laws to help reduce the waste streams. So again, we keep our landfills open as long as we can. The oldest law that was passed is the California Integrated Waste Management Act, and that was passed in 1989, and that requires a 50% diversion of recyclable materials from landfills. And I believe we're accomplishing this through recycling, and that's the other of the three bin, that's the recycling bin, which we haven't talked about yet. So that's how we're meeting that goal, is that correct?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so um, you know, as mentioned, a number of laws were passed, you know, prior to SB 1383, one of which you mentioned was Assembly Bill 9 uh AB 939, which is the California Integrated Management Act. Um, and that was really a game changer because it did require all jurisdictions to defer 50% of all of their waste that's being generated away from the landfills. And there's really a measure to save landfill capacity through waste reduction, recycling, and composting. Okay. And then since then, um other bills have been passed as well, most notably Assembly Bill 341. And this was targeting towards not residential but commercial recycling of businesses as well. Right? There's a lot of business waste that's being generated, and so they had to uh come up with programs in place to be able to recycle those materials, but also towards focusing on multifamily, right, versus single-family homes.
SPEAKER_01Apartment complexes and condo complexes and things, rather than just having one dumpster. Correct. They now have dual dumpsters.
SPEAKER_00That's correct. That's correct. And so that is, I would say, the most challenging, you know, per se, but is is something that's gonna be critical in order to meet the recycling um mandates. Uh and then of course, um, you know, uh, you know, commercial businesses also have to re-recycle their organic material as well. And so that's what Assembly Bill 1826 did. And so you can see the evolution of these laws that led to the development of SB 1383. Um, and so, you know, uh at the end of the day, you know, it's gonna be society that's gonna make this successful, right? We try to set up the programs in place, but ultimately it has to be utilized by this residents and the businesses.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and and it's it's this education, which we're doing now. So gardeners are in tune with the earth and nature because that's what we do, and most are very conscientious about recycling as well as reusing items. So when we put something in the recycling bin, where does a waste hauler take it in Orange County? Where does it go?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, that's uh that's a great question because a lot of people don't always know, right? Uh but certainly I know that your listeners, gardeners, they're very conscious and about it, and so they get an idea as to the idea of recycling and reuse, so that's good. But when you put your materials in your recycling, then um it doesn't just magically disappear, right? Uh, but they actually get collected and headed to a facility, what we call a materials recovery facility or a Murph. And so at a Murph, everything is sorted. Uh, we have machines and people that work together to be able to separate the paper, the cardboard, the plastics, the glass, and the metals. And then from there, those materials are then sent to specialized processors that are then where it gets further cleaned out and reprocessed into raw virgin materials for additional processing. And so that's when the cycle you know starts over, where you take a aluminum can and then it can become a new can really in as little as 60 days. Um, glass bottles, they can also be recycled endlessly as well. And then plastics, you know, which is an interesting topic in itself, when accepted, can be turned into other types of like plastic products as well. And so, you know, just like composting turns food scraps back into soil, recycling in itself really gives new life to what we throw away. And so we want to keep it in the cycle because unfortunately, once it's sent to a landfill, it stays in the landfill.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, no, it doesn't, it doesn't come back. I know aluminum is made out of a material called bauxite, and I believe that it's heated to about bauxite, to about 5,000 degrees to make aluminum, whereas a recycled can only has to be heated to somewhere like 1,500 Fahrenheit. So you're using less energy energy to make aluminum from already aluminum products than you are uh as well. So I think that that's very important that we uh that we do that. And you talked about plastics, and we love our plastic, and they make up about 12% of the things we throw away, as I understand it. So let's talk about plastic recycling. So we've all noticed the little numbers one through seven, and they're on the bottom of plastic receptacle, and they're uh surrounded by uh three arrows in the shape of a triangle, and it's called the resin identification codes. So, what do these little numbers mean?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so those little numbers inside the recycling triangles, they're called the resin identification codes, and they basically tell you what kind of plastic you're holding. And so here's really a quick guide. If it has a number one and two, you know, those are the easiest and the most commonly recycled. And so think water jugs, milk jugs, and detergent bottles. Uh, but there's also the numbers three through seven, and that gets a little bit trickier. You know, and so some of them, uh like styrofoam or plastic film, they usually can't be recycled in your curbside bin, even though they have that symbol. And so with that number, you know, it doesn't really mean yes, this is recyclable, which I think that's what people think it means, but it just identifies what is that type of plastic, right?
SPEAKER_01Right, because you can't combine different kinds of plastics, right?
SPEAKER_00That's right, right. And so uh the real answer really depends on this recycle, and that is does your local city accept it or not? Um, and so the best rule of thumb is you know stick with those that are labeled one and twos for curbside recycling, but then also check with your local hauler as to whether or not these other types of plastics can be recycled.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and and and that's an important thing. So it's also too from a consumer point of view, pay attention to the products you're buying. Look at look at what if it's made out of plastic, look at what it is. And speaking of plastics, we you know are shopping online more and more, and oftentimes our packages come with these air-filled plastic bags, and they're often used as packing materials to keep our products safe in transit. Can these things be recycled? Off they say they do, but I know the number may be higher than one or two. So tell us about that.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, you know, um, that's a good question, and I think that's one that many people struggle with, right? Especially with like online purchases and things of that nature. And so, again, generally speaking, you know, if the packaging is clearly labeled and it says one or two on it and has that resin logo, then it could be recycled. Unfortunately, if there is no label or if it has a different number on it, um, then it cannot be placed in a recycling bin. I know that in some cases, the packaging itself, there is some information uh that's put on there by the manufacturer that will where you can go online, it'll kind of direct the consumer as to how you go about properly recycling it, right? Um so those are things we have to be very careful of because you know people want to do the right thing, and it's like, okay, which bin does it go in, right?
SPEAKER_01So I I think too, carefully read what it is, because some of it'll say compostable, and that means you want to put it in your solid waste bin, because when it's buried, it will break down versus recyclable. Uh, because that's also too um again, you're you're talking about not all plastic can be easily recycled. Uh it can't it can't be recycled. So, what do we do with a lot of these, especially? So tell me about one and two that can easily be recycled. What do we do with that material?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so uh that will be collected by the uh haulers who goes through their MERF where it gets you know sorted out, and then they have a very sophisticated process where they're able to bail it. Um, and so they bail you know the number ones together, they bail the number twos together, and then they will send it to um you know manufacturing facilities either in the states uh or also overseas typically, you know, as well. They're very concerned to make sure that they get it right, right? Because they don't want it to be rejected. Uh and so over the years there's been a focus on making sure that's it's as clean as possible, right?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that it's clean. And uh I know that you can buy materials that uh replace wood. I've seen park benches and tables made out of it. I've seen other companies that use uh, I believe it's number two, that they actually restrain and they can uh turn into artificial fabric and make clothing out of even. So I mean those are cool things. But what what happens to the so the three through sevens in some cases may get thrown away because there's nothing we can do with them. Is that true?
SPEAKER_00Yes, that is uh unfortunately, you know, correct. Um, and that's where a lot of plastics are um you know being generated. Um and so it's a big problem, right? Because I think wherever you look, there's always plastics around us, right? Yeah, that's for sure. You can't get away from it, right? Yeah. Um and so you know, we have to be able to develop you know the recycling markets, but there also has to be on the back end manufacturers that see it as a way to you know convert it into convert it into something into something else, right? And so, you know, otherwise we can create all the recycling programs, but it has To end up somewhere, right? To be able to produce a product. There has to be a market for it.
SPEAKER_01Right. And there's no good to just collect it if you're going to throw it away. So do you think it's possible to live plastic free? And any tips for doing that?
SPEAKER_00Yeah. So it is a hot topic. And the good news is that California is actually working to address this issue. In 2022, SB 54 was signed into law, and that's actually referred to as the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act. So that's a mouthful, right? It is. The law actually holds producers responsible for single-use plastic packaging and foodware. And so the key goals is that by 2032, there's going to be a 25% reduction in single-use plastic material. And that also all single-use plastic materials, they actually must uh achieve a 65% recycling rate in order to be sold in the state of California. So these, yeah, these regulations, they're actually being developed as we speak. And we hope that they're going to be adopted fairly soon. And so it would really be interesting to see how the producers develop the recycling programs, right? But in the meantime, you know, like say just for the average uh consumer, uh living uh totally plastic free, it's gonna be hard, but there are some easy steps that could be taken right now to be able to cut back. Uh for one, uh carry a reusable water bottle and a coffee cup. Yeah, absolutely, right? Instead of buying uh single-use drinks, right? Uh keep those uh tote bags in your car, right, or by the door so that you have them, you know, uh when you go to the store. Right. Right. Um don't get the uh you know reusable plastic bags because a lot of times they just get thrown away.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and I know there's an those are being phased out because I'm seeing in my grocery store it says, you know, we're we're adopting a certain bill, I can't remember the number early, and we're we're not gonna offer plastic anymore. It'll all be paper. So I think we are going back to paper in the in the way of shopping bags.
SPEAKER_00That is that is correct, because they found out that it just doesn't work, right? We're still producing plastic, it still ends up in the landfills, and so they have to rethink that, right? Um, but also some other um you know tips that you know residents can do to be a little bit smarter about things uh when it comes to plastic reduction, and that is um buy bulk, right? Buy things that are package-free, right, at the grocery stores and at the farmers markets, right? You know, support your local farmers markets. Uh, but also you know, cook more at home. You know, obviously, you know, eating out, there's always going to be a lot of uh you know single-useware packaging uh that goes along with that as well. And then the last thing I would say is um, you know, uh one of the things we see a lot is uh straws, plastic straws and lids, right? And it doesn't always end up in the garbage, it ends up as litter, right? And so uh if you can avoid it, uh you know, enjoy your drinks without it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and then and it so it is good to know too the the material that makes a straw and the material that goes on the top of a single-use uh cup for drinks is not um that's not uh recyclable that has to go in a landfill. That's correct. Right. That's correct. Okay, right. Fantastic. All right. So that it gives us, and there's a lot of websites if people want to explore this about living plastic free, and I'm sure they can. So it's my understanding that if you place your recyclables in a plastic trash bag, and that that the bag is not necessarily opened and gone through by the Murphs uh facility, is that correct?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so unless your hauler tells you otherwise, the recyclables they should always go loose in your carts. Uh never tie them up in a plastic trash bag. And so those bags themselves can jam up the machinery at the Murphs. Um, and then when it happens, the whole bag along with everything inside of it usually ends up in a landfill. So you can imagine that you know um the facilities themselves, they can't discern between a bag full of trash versus a bag full of recyclables, nor do they have the time, right? So they're just gonna make the assumption that it's just it's just trash. It's just trash, right? Uh and so again, keep it loose. You know, it's a very small stuff, but it makes a huge difference, right? Especially for families who are very conscious they spend all that time to separate the recyclables. So the last thing we'd want is it end up going to the landfills, right? But if they do that, right, then it'll go a long way.
SPEAKER_01Okay, so that that so you when you're preparing your recyclables, you want them clean, you want them dry, and you want them in there loose so that think of it as going over, I guess, a big conveyor belt. It's probably gonna pass under a magnet, and then there's gonna be people hand sortering as well as I know they use errand centrifugal force. So that's what's happening. So they're not gonna open a nice neat bag of recyclables. And you may have gone to a lot of work to do that. And I'm also assuming that our cardboard needs to be uh flattened, and and rather, you know, not a full box, it should be flattened. Is that correct?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, you know, uh cardboard is one of those things where it could be flattened, or you can just throw the box in there as well. They'll have machinery that will compact it. You know, carboard is actually one of the easier things to recycle, as long as it's not stained or things of that nature as well, but it could be easily recycled.
SPEAKER_01So like a pizza box, it has grease staints on it, it has to be thrown away.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, the pizza box itself, um, you know, uh if it has a lot of grease on it, it's probably better to throw away. But if it's relatively, you know, has little clean little spots here and there, you know, that's fine. That's okay, right? Um uh you know, but yes, I would say, you know, as much as you can, remove the uneaten pizza. Yeah. Don't throw the pizza in the pizza box. The old cheese. The old cheese, right? So you're right about that.
SPEAKER_01And so the easiest things to recycle would be aluminum, of course, glass, cardboard, and paper. I'm assuming those are our easiest things. And of course, any of our metals recycle very easily. Um steel, and and I think that's removed with a magnet if I would get the roof facility. And so that works out well. Those are the best things to recycle. And then it's our high number plastics that get more difficult. And even plastics one and two, there has to be a market for it, I know. So these are just as you're buying, think of this from the consumer end of uh end of things. So Senate Bill 54, another Senate bill, was passed in 2022 that requires producers to reduce, and you talked about this, single plastic packaging by 2025, and make package recyclable and compostable by 2032. So they have a while to do this. And we've already begun seeing the bags at the grocery store change. Any other ideas for um people on on this and and buying plastics and what's happening, what you're seeing at the trade shows and things to talk about?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it's interesting uh because I think um, as you mentioned, SB54, it's gonna be a game changer, and I really anticipate that we will receive additional clarity from a consumer standpoint. Okay. Right. And so I think that's the whole goal, right? And the beauty of it is, you know, not only here in California, right? Because when California comes up with regulations, they're going to standardize that across the nation as well, yeah. Just because of how large our state is. And so um, you know, we really want to get the single-use plastics out of the markets, right? You know, also that will help spur innovation and technologies, right? And so uh producers will then, because now they're gonna be responsible for for creating recycling programs, they now have to think about end of life, right? It's not just about producing the plastics, but how do we make sure that it comes back full circle? Uh, and so I'm really excited. I know there's gonna be a little bit of time for uh the manufacturers to get together, but we're actually meeting with them and not only for you know just regular plastics, but also the discussion on compostable uh you know uh plastics as well, right? And because that is gonna be a key, especially being able to get food scraps into the green waste bin as well. And so I'm excited because I will tell folks, and that is you know, the question of okay, do I use the compostable bags or not? And I would say, look, you know what, if it helps you, right, to change habits, then please do it. Because I can tell you that today the materials are using it was better than 10 years ago or five years ago. Yeah. And so I can only imagine that again, as more research is done, as more money is put into it in terms of investments, it should get better. So it's just part of the evolution, right? At some point we'll get there.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, we will. In California, it's it it just as you say, it is really leading the way. And and you know, I'm counting here as I I looked at this, probably 10 different bills that deal with what we're putting in the landfill and how to correct it, which is which is really good news. And we're so large, people follow us, so that's great. And finally, two more: AB 341 and AB 1826, they deal with commercial recycling and organic recycling on businesses. Can you tell us a little bit about these laws and what they're involved with?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so um, you know, these laws you know focus on commercial businesses, multifamily uh dwellings, and you know, being able to provide them the tools and the resources to also uh perform recycling, right? When it comes to single-family homes, you know, it's a lot easier to roll out because you have the multicolored bins, but when you have multi-family and a lot of times, you know, families, they're transitional as well, trying to get them to understand what happens to the waste is important. And so it's putting the responsibility on the landlords, the owners of these facilities to be able to put programs into place. And we've seen that as well, right? And you know, for us at OC Waste and Recycling, being able to work with uh you know commercial establishments, they just need to understand what the law is and what the tools are out there. And so uh, but it's always it is it is a challenge. I'm not gonna lie about that. And it's also it's continuous as well, right? And so it's one of those things where you can't just wrest on the laurels and think that we got it, we got it fixed, we got it done. You know, it's you know that continuum that needs to happen over and over again because at the end of the day, we are dealing with people and they have different priorities, they're trying to run a business, right? Right. And so sometimes when uh the economy is not doing so well, maybe recycling is not on their focal points, yeah. Right, but the law still says that they have to recycle.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, they've they've got to do it. And I even know that speaking of commercial, that you even take the uh we we do have horses here in Orange County, and you take the horse manure, and that goes in composting. And this is a wonderful thing. Uh gardeners know if they can get that put in composting because it helps raise the heat.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And it's it's good stuff.
SPEAKER_00Well, no, absolutely, and I'm glad you mentioned that because not just um you know green waste, but it's food scraps, but it's also uh manure, and so we do have a number of cities that have uh equestrian facilities, and so we're actually taking the manure as well, so that's not going to landfill because that's organic material. And of course, we're in the holiday season as well, and so a lot of people have uh pumpkins, right? And so once they're done with their pumpkins, if they don't make their pumpkin pies and things of that nature, then I encourage them to put it into their uh green room.
SPEAKER_01Organic waste, and it'll go uh either be made into electricity or it'll go be made into compost, depending.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I'll tell you the the bugs love it, right? They love it. Yes, they do. And it really does help with the composting process. So I really encourage and that's again a very easy thing to do, right? To just, you know, put it in there. Put it in there.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and including the guts, too, if you don't dry out your pumpkins. Absolutely, absolutely. That's that's wonderful news. So ancient humans, they knew how to manage and dispose of their waste a lot better than we modern humans do, and we're struggling with it. But talking to you, David, we're making some strides. And I believe we've explored ways that Orange County is becoming waste-free. And we've given people ideas on how to reduce their waste. And of course, if you're a gardener, using that waste to grow beautiful plants and very healthy and nutritious vegetables. This certainly gives us additional meaning to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Thank you, David, for talking with me today on in the garden.