Local Action, Global Goals
Organic waste reduction efforts in Elk Grove are part of worldwide effort “Think Globally, Act Locally” is a slogan associated with environmentalism since the 1970s….
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Better Habits
Green bins support environmental education and behavior change Most people don’t pay much thought to the gray, blue, and green rubbish bins sitting outside of…
Recover and Reuse
Closed-loop recycling provides new uses for Elk Grove’s organic waste By now, most Elk Grove residents are used to sorting their garbage into separate bins,…
Farm to Fork and Back Again
Elk Grove restaurant owner is committed to sustainable business practices Marie Mertz, owner of beloved Elk Grove eatery Todo Un Poco, applies a karmic philosophy…
Sustainable Solutions
Many people may be surprised to learn just how companies are turning that organic waste into a myriad of clever products that help to lower greenhouse gas emissions and limit climate change.
Rethinking the System
SB 1383 brings opportunities to support friends, neighbors and businesses Every year, 11.2 billion pounds of food are wasted in California while millions of people…
Food Bank Game Changer
SB 1383 aims to limit the amount of food and other organic matter that ends up in landfills—which is currently estimated to include about 30-40% of the food supply. In fact, according to the California Department of Food and Agriculture, Californians throw away approximately 6 million tons of food waste annually.
Small Changes, Big Difference
Change can be hard. But when it comes to food waste, inaction is worse. Senate Bill 1383 addresses the connection between climate change and wasted food and comes with new rules for residents and businesses, tasking all of us with working together to build a better, cleaner California for ourselves and our future. And it’s going to take everyone doing their part.
An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Ton of Cure
Reduce, reuse, recycle: Three short, simple steps have encouraged millions of people to take better care of our collective home. That first step—reduce—can make the biggest impact on the environment and our local community.
Change Starts at Home
The city of Elk Grove’s practical plans to reduce residential food waste The city of Elk Grove is entering the third year of implementing Senate…
Teaching Good Habits
Middle school educator makes cafeteria conservation cool Kathleen Albiani, home economics teacher at Toby Johnson Middle School in Elk Grove, has teens and tweens excited…
Under the new SB 1383 legislation, how do we dispose of organic waste—and how close to meeting the 2025 goals are we?
We are collecting organic waste–most of it uneaten food–in a new way. What happens to it next?
San Jose is a model of how collecting organic waste may look across California—even though challenges remain.
Not all parts of California are the same, of course. There are heavily populated urban centers, rural areas, well-funded cities, small towns that struggle economically….
Emily Coven of Recyclist provides real-time data to show how California cities are handling the organic waste measure
it is often difficult to make aspirational bills like SB 1383 a reality, especially in cities and counties across the state with varying degrees of resources and populations. Hard numbers give us an idea how the rollout is really going.
Veronica Pardo of the Resource Recovery Coalition of California gives a haulers’ perspective on implementing the organic waste bill
Local haulers will bear the biggest responsibility of SB 1383: namely collecting and disposing of organic waste. What are they already doing? what challenges do they face?
Colleen Foster of Oceanside’s Solid Waste & Recycling department discusses the significant challenges in implementing a law to reduce the state’s landfills
SB 1383 sets aspirational goals for California: to divert 75% of organic waste and reclaim 20% more still-edible food by 2025. But challenges remain in making it work.