California Organic Waste Recyclers: Senate Committee to Vote on Bill to End Popular California Recycling Program

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Aug. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Each week, a specialized hauling truck arrives at San Diego's popular AleSmith Brewery to pick up spent grain and other recovered wasted food which will later be recycled by local ranchers as livestock feed. 

This recycling program is repeated thousands of times each week at California grocery stores, restaurants, breweries, coffee shops, bakeries and more which either donate or are paid for the waste.  In fact, according to the Clarity and Leadership for Environmental Awareness and Research Center at UC Davis, more than 5.7 million tons of vegetable and fruit trimmings, egg shells, avocado pits, spent grain, coffee grounds and more are recovered annually in California and "upcycled" as highly-nutritious livestock feed instead of dumping it in our state's overburdened landfills.

"The current recycling program works so well and provides so many benefits to the people and the environment in California, there simply is no reason for the State Legislature to change the rules and destroy an effective program," said Peter Zien, owner and CEO of AleSmith Brewery.  He added, "Our business is a big proponent of doing everything we can to reduce our environmental footprint, but AB 2959 does nothing to help the environment while harming small businesses like ours."

This week the Senate Environmental Quality Committee, will vote on Assembly Bill 2959 which could have devastating impacts on California's climate goals by essentially eliminating this effective recycling program. The bill would impose a one-size-fits-all approach to disposing of organic waste generated by households and all types of businesses. It would allow that material to be removed only by a designated franchise holder – the large trash-removal firms that are contracted with local municipalities – where it would be taken to a composting facility.

However, California does not have the infrastructure in place to allow for more organic material to be processed at existing composting facilities and digestors.  State budget analysts estimate it will cost more than $22 billion to construct the necessary infrastructure to meet the requirements of AB 2959.  That $22 billion will be financed by new fees charged to businesses that generate food waste by the large waste haulers. This would increase the cost of doing business for restaurants, grocery stores and other businesses already struggling with the effects of the COVID-19 crisis.

"This bill is a big step backward for California.  It would have a devastating impact on California's climate goals while increasing the state's greenhouse gas emissions," said Dr. Frank Mitloehner, professor and Air Quality EC Specialist and Director of the University's CLEAR Center.  He added, "Currently, about 18% of materials entering California landfills is wasted food material.  Trashing an efficient recycling program for AB 2959 will likely create new environmental problems and further contribute to the vast food waste cycle that California communities must end.  AB 2959 needs to be dumped."

Another major problem with AB 2959 is that when organic waste decomposes it releases methane as part of the process which increases GHG emissions.  However, when used as animal feed, that same organic waste is nearly completely disposed of when eaten by cows and other livestock.  For example, the cow's rumen, or stomach, can break down all the materials in the recovered waste and upcycle them into edible protein in the form of dairy products and beef for millions of people.

"I am regularly contacted by operators of large kitchens at local casinos, convention centers and hotels asking if I can take more recovered food waste to feed my dairy cattle.  This recycling is likely to end if AB 2959 passes," said Frank Konyn, of Konyn Dairy in Escondido, and a leader in recycling wasted food.  He added, "If this bill excludes animal agriculture from recovering and recycling wasted food, it is contrary to the goals of 'highest use' recycling as mandated by both the federal government and CalEPA and must be stopped.  This is not the environmental leadership Californians expect from our elected officials."  

The bill is opposed by the California Restaurant Association, the California Grocers Association, the California Retailers Association, the California Farm Bureau Federation, the California Cattlemen Association, the California Grain and Feed Association, the Western United Dairymen and the California Advanced Biofuels Association.

SOURCE California Organic Waste Recyclers