BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Beginning in 2022, a new state law went into effect requiring food scraps and other organic material to go into "green bins" specifically intended for organic waste. At the end of the first year of the law, it seems that most Kern County residents are still unclear on the purpose of the green bins or what exactly they're supposed to be putting into them.
"I do have my green bin, but I usually put all of my tree branches and stuff like that," said Ernesto Martinez of Bakersfield.
"I didn't know," said Victoria Harp of Bakersfield, "I just put my grass clipping and things like that. I didn't know about the food part of it."
Martinez and Harp are not alone. Most people know that yard waste goes into the green bins, but the organic household waste like food scraps, not so much. Some aren't even clear on what constitutes "organic waste."
CalRecycle Director Rachel Wagoner explains.
"Organic waste is just a fancy way of saying our food waste and yard waste and anything that is made of a material that is going to break down organically in a landfill," said Wagoner.
Wagoner says landfills are the third largest source of methane in California, which is a pollutant more potent than carbon dioxide.
"What we are trying to do is pull those waste out of the landfill where they are polluting our communities and then put them into compost, which actually goes to feeding the planet," said Wagoner.
The organic waste law, originally introduced in 2016, went into effect in 2022 in some parts of the state, including Bakersfield. It is being implemented in single and multi-family homes, as well as in business and schools. It does not yet apply to apartment complexes.
The ultimate goal of the organic waste law is to reduce organic disposal by 75 percent in California by 2025. This is much easier said than done, especially when people don't even know about it.
According to Joe Conroy with the City of Bakersfield, there's an awareness campaign in the works to address that.
"This is what we have been doing. We have a marketing campaign through local movie theaters and streaming services where you see and ad that explains the law and makes people aware of it," said Conroy.
The law puts more than climate goals on the line, as the state can issue administrative penalties against cities and counties that fail to comply with these requirements.
These fees towards the cities or counties are categorized from minor to major and range from $400 to $10,000 dollars for each day the problem remains. The city being fined would be responsible for paying this fine.
"We don't want that fine," Conroy said. "We don't want to have to charge residents to have to make up for that fine if we had some sort of SB1383 fine or fee or waste disposal fee."
So far, no penalties have been issued, but that is why officials say it is important for everyone to know and do their part. Conroy says there will be growing pains, but notes that this is no different from when the blue recycling bins were first introduced. It took time for people to get used to them.
In the meantime, although Ernesto Martinez has not been using the bins for food scraps, he has already been helping to address the organic waste issue.
"I usually have a compost at home where I put my food. It goes into my ground, into the dirt," said Martinez.
Others, like Bakersfield resident Monica Vazquez, are reducing waste by helping others.
"If I have leftovers from dinner, I make it into a little tray and give it to the homeless," said Vazquez.
Reducing organic waste by saving food that would otherwise be thrown out is also part of this effort. The law's 20 percent food recovery goal is already being addressed in Kern County, with the heath department rescuing food from organizations and providing it to those in need.
