Waste Board Chair Brown Addresses State of Organics During BioCycle 2008 Conference 

SAN DIEGO--Before a nationwide audience of recyclers, local government officials, and academics, California Integrated Waste Management Board Chair Margo Reid Brown addressed the state of organics in California at this month’s Annual BioCycle West Coast 2008 Conference.

Brown spoke about the action needed to confront the challenges and capitalize on the opportunities of organics and sustainability in the Golden State.

“We know the powerhouse impact of progressive and leading edge policies on organics management. It’s central to our mission today,” said Brown. “We’re heavily dependent upon the degree of success in organics management, and that is why it’s our number one targeted material in the waste stream.”

Brown also highlighted the strong link between success in organics management and California’s landmark campaign to combat global warming. When diverted from landfills where they generate methane--a potent greenhouse gas--organic materials like wood, food, leaves, and grass can be reused or returned to the soil as compost or mulch, or used for clean, alternative energy or fuel production.

“With unsparing clarity, we see that more sensible handling of waste has a consequential impact on climate change,” Brown added. “Trying to build a more sustainable, carbon-neutral society without an aggressive approach to organics would be like trying to get from one place to another by walking on a treadmill.”

While California’s waste diversion program has been a model of success nationally--the state presently recovers about 54 percent of its waste stream--roughly 23 million tons of organic materials still end up in landfills every year. Increasing organics diversion is necessary to reduce the state’s dependence on landfills, develop cleaner sources of fuel and energy, curb greenhouse gas emissions, and generate green-collar jobs for the California economy.

Over the years, the Waste Board has funded projects to demonstrate the benefits of organics applications like compost, provided seed money to start-up recycling enterprises, facilitated progress in the development of organics markets, and build public-private partnerships to put momentum behind the effort.

In her remarks, Brown discussed the Board’s heightened focus on organics through its Organics Roadmap. The document includes a variety of activities and projects addressing organics issues such as financial incentives, challenges of siting facilities, regulatory issues, and more. The central element of the Roadmap is the Board’s goal of reducing the amount of organics in the waste stream by 50 percent by 2020.

“The Global Warming Solutions Act signed by Governor Schwarzenegger sent a very clear message,” said Brown. “It is not enough to talk about the problem, to question the nature of the threat, to take a wait-and-see approach or fiddle around the edges. We have to set clear, numerical goals--and marshal policy, partnerships and ingenuity to get there.”

For details about the Board’s Organics Roadmap and the collective dialogue to inform the effort, visit www.ciwmb.ca.gov/Organics/.

The California Integrated Waste Management Board is the state's leading authority on recycling and waste reduction. It promotes reducing waste whenever possible, managing all materials to their highest and best use and protecting public health and safety and the environment.

The California Integrated Waste Management Board is one of six boards, departments, and offices within the California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA).

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