Organic waste program redirects food scraps into compost, not landfill
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Starting Friday in Sacramento city and county, all these things -- including the used pizza box -- can be placed in the organic-waste container to be recycled into compost. (Photo: Kathy Morrison)
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You will never look at a soiled pizza box or a banana peel the same way.
Friday is the start of Sacramento’s new organics recycling program. It’s part of a statewide rollout of new programs designed to cut down on organic waste – anything plant- or animal-based – in landfills.
Senate Bill 1383, which was signed by Gov. Jerry Brown more than five years ago, is finally kicking in. This state law mandates cities and counties to divert organic waste from landfills, where it breaks down into methane – among the worst greenhouse gases. Instead, the waste can be turned into compost to nourish soil or used to generate energy.
When it comes to climate change, methane is 80 times more potent that carbon dioxide. Food scraps alone represent up to 20% of all landfill material. According to CalRecycle, Californians throw away almost 6 million tons of food scraps each year.
How each municipality and county accomplishes that diversion of kitchen waste is up to them. And new rules vary in every county.
Customers are asked to keep their kitchen scraps (including meat, bones and leftover prepared food) separate from their household trash. Those scraps will then be collected weekly.
In Sacramento, the kitchen scraps are going into what used to be the “yard/green waste” container. That garbage can will now be referred to as the “organic waste container.” All the yard trimmings are still going into that container, too. And so will soiled food wrappers and other paper that can’t be recycled (such as pizza boxes); those items used to be confined to the trash.
The organic waste container will be used to dispose of kitchen scraps, green waste and food-soiled paper, says Sacramento. (That's the same in both city and county.)
Specifically, kitchen scraps include: Cooked and raw food waste, such as uneaten vegetables, fruits, trimmings, meats, dairy, bones, baked goods, eggshells, etc.
Green waste includes: Grass clippings, small branches, leaves, cut flowers, garden trimmings, wood chips, and clean wood (no paint, no stain, etc.).
Food-soiled paper includes: Used napkins, paper cups, coffee filters, greasy pizza boxes, tea bags, used (but uncoated) paper plates, etc.
As for paper, experts recommend placing several sheets of newsprint at the bottom of the organic waste container each week before filling. The newspaper can help absorb any liquids that may accumulate.
In addition, cover any additions of kitchen scraps to the container with a layer of dried leaves, grass clippings or more newspaper (preferably shredded). That will help keep down any fly or pest issues.
(Note: No pet waste is accepted in the organics bin, as well as such items as coated-paper milk cartons, glass or metal containers, or treated or painted wood.)
To get residents to start separating their organic waste, the city of Sacramento is offering a free 2-gallon food scraps pail. The covered pail can sit on the counter or go under the sink. To get yours, go to SacOrganics.org . County residents can find locations to get a free scraps pail here: SacGreenTeam.com
Since each county sets up its food waste recycling programs, residents of Placer, El Dorado or Yolo counties should contact their county waste management departments for procedures and pickup schedules.
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Garden Checklist for week of Nov. 3
November still offers good weather for fall planting:
* If you haven't already, it's time to clean up the remains of summer. Pull faded annuals and vegetables. Prune dead or broken branches from trees.
* Now is the best time to plant most trees and shrubs. This gives them plenty of time for root development before spring growth. They also benefit from fall and winter rains.
* Set out cool-weather annuals such as pansies and snapdragons.
* Lettuce, cabbage and broccoli also can be planted now.
* Plant garlic and onions.
* Keep planting bulbs to spread out your spring bloom. Some possible suggestions: daffodils, crocuses, hyacinths, tulips, anemones and scillas.
* This is also a good time to seed wildflowers and plant such spring bloomers as sweet pea, sweet alyssum and bachelor buttons.
* Rake and compost leaves, but dispose of any diseased plant material. For example, if peach and nectarine trees showed signs of leaf curl this year, clean up under trees and dispose of those leaves instead of composting.
* Save dry stalks and seedpods from poppies and coneflowers for fall bouquets and holiday decorating.
* For holiday blooms indoors, plant paperwhite narcissus bulbs now. Fill a shallow bowl or dish with 2 inches of rocks or pebbles. Place bulbs in the dish with the root end nestled in the rocks. Add water until it just touches the bottom of the bulbs. Place the dish in a sunny window. Add water as needed.
* Give your azaleas, gardenias and camellias a boost with chelated iron.
* For larger blooms, pinch off some camellia buds.
* Prune non-flowering trees and shrubs while dormant.
* To help prevent leaf curl, apply a copper fungicide spray to peach and nectarine trees after they lose their leaves this month. Leaf curl, which shows up in the spring, is caused by a fungus that winters as spores on the limbs and around the tree in fallen leaves. Sprays are most effective now.
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