A key component of a new California law that will forever change how residents and businesses sort their food scraps and landscaping trimmings took effect Jan. 1 and, so far, Orange County cities are in various stages of rolling out their respective programs. Some are already in full compliance with the new law, which is mandatory by 2025, while others are rolling out their respective programs more slowly, due, in part, some say, to COVID-19 issues as well as supply chain shortages. Almost all cities, however, have either raised rates in response to the new mandate—or expect to in the near future.
At issue is the mandatory organic waste collection and recycling program, part of a California law passed in 2017, that officials hope will preserve landfill capacity and reduce methane emissions that result when organic waste decomposes in landfills. What the law means for residents and business owners is that they are now required to separate organic waste—such as food scraps, grass, and garden clippings—into dedicated green bins instead of tossing such in blue bins meant for plastic recycling or black bins for things like pizza boxes with grease or food bits still on them, or disposable diapers.
Residents and businesses in unincorporated cities in Orange County can expect to see new green bins for organic recycling by the end of February, according to Fran Bangert, a waste and recycling county spokesperson. Additional fees for the program, she said, have been factored into trash bills since last summer. Cost increases are based on the size of a business, for example, and more for a multi-family building compared to a single-family residence, she said.