Organic Materials Management

Organics Policy Roadmap and Schedule

Compostable organic materials comprise more than 25 percent, or about 10 million tons, of what is disposed in landfills annually. The Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle, formerly CIWMB) wants California to reduce the amount of organics being landfilled by 50 percent by 2020. To do this, at least 15 million tons of organics, much of it compostable, needs to be recycled annually, as identified in CalRecycle’s “Organics Roadmaps.”

Organics Policy Roadmaps

• Organics Policy Roadmap (Agenda Item 15, 12/11/2007)
• Organics Policy Roadmap II (Agenda Item 8, 12/16/2008)
• Organics Policy Roadmap III (Agenda Item 4, 12/15/2009)
• Organics Policy Roadmap IV (to be heard at CalRecycle's Public Meeting, 5/17/2011)

Staff assessed the various issues raised by stakeholders at a March 28, 2007, Biofuels Forum (Word, 41 KB) and the subsequent October 10, 2007, Summary of Organics Summit (MS Word, 66 KB) and developed the following six key issue categories that required more focused work and consideration by the Board Members: Alternative Daily Cover (ADC) policy, economic incentives, siting and capacity, regulatory and permitting, research, and education. These common issues and timing for addressing them were the foundation for the Organics Policy Roadmaps:

Key Issue Categories and their Implementation Schedule

• Alternative Daily Cover Policy
• Economic Incentives and Disincentives (Non-ADC)
• Siting and Capacity Development
• Regulatory and Permitting Constraints
• Research, Product Standards, and Technology Evaluation
• Education and Procurement

Alternative Daily Cover Policy

• June 2008: Policy Item
• March 2008: Policy Item

Economic Incentives and Disincentives (Non-ADC)

• September 2008: Initial Policy Item
• May 2008: Award of 2007-D-7, Compost BMPs and Benefits Contract
• January 2008: Scope of Work for proposed contract allocation 2007-D-7, Compost BMPs & Benefits (Word, 163 KB)

Siting and Capacity Development

• May 2008: Award Infrastructure Contract
• Apr. 2008: Siting and Capacity Workshops: April 16 and April 23.
• Jan. 2008: Infrastructure Study Scope of Work agenda item

Regulatory and Permitting Constraints

• March 2008: California Biomass Collaborative Annual Forum
• January 2008:
  • Item on 2008 Rulemaking Calendar (Word, 69 KB--from Legal Office) laying out schedule of regulatory activities; includes regulations affecting organic materials management.
  • Collaboration with SCAQMD and SJVUAPCD on greenwaste composting rules.

Research, Product Standards, and Technology Evaluation

• January 2008:
  • Agenda item for biofuels RFP scope of work (Word, 67 KB)
  • Compost Emissions Report (Adobe PDF, 1.8 MB)
  • Organics Lifecycle Assessment Workshop
  • Scope of Work for proposed contract allocation 2007-D-8. Compost Cover at Landfills (Word, 163 KB)

Education and Procurement

Nothing scheduled at this time.

Organics Toolbox