To cut as much climate pollution as taking half-a-million cars off the road, new state support will invest $130 million to grow California industry and jobs and help communities turn food and yard waste into clean energy and compost.

California Climate Investments’ Organics Grant Program awards will accelerate the state’s climate progress by keeping 7.7 million tons of organic waste from emitting methane climate pollution in landfills. Methane is a climate super pollutant with 84 times more heat-trapping power than carbon dioxide.

“California’s latest investments in food and yard waste recycling will cut planet-heating pollution and grow California companies with new green jobs in our communities,” CalRecycle Director Rachel Machi Wagoner said. “Organic waste recycling is part of California’s climate fight as we move toward circular, local systems that continuously recycle what we used to throw away.”

Project Highlights include:

• $130 million to 23 infrastructure projects in 15 counties;

• Over 7.7 tons of food and yard waste kept out of landfills;

• Climate pollution cuts = Over 480,000 cars off the road;

• 114 new jobs for California’s clean economy.

The funded projects will recycle organic material into new products like:

Compost – a superfood for soil to retain more water, and help plants get more nutrients, use less pesticides, and pull more planet-heating carbon from the air.

Biofuel – to fuel local bus or service truck fleets with less carbon pollution, or for clean energy to power buildings.

Forward, Inc. in Stockton, San Joaquin County, is among the recipients, and is slated to receive $5,167,510 under the grant program. The funds will be used for expansion at an existing compost facility. Three jobs will be added and the effort will keep 467,000 tons out of landfills over the next 10 years.

California’s organics recycling and unsold food recovery law (SB 1383) took effect in 2022 to cut methane emissions from organic waste rotting in landfills.

Seventy-five percent of communities now report residential organics collection programs. Nearly 100 percent reported expanding commercial organics collection programs.

Landfill data shows organics disposal dropped by 2 million tons from 2014 to 2021, even before SB 1383 took effect in 2022.

CalRecycle’s next study on how much organics went to landfills is planned for 2024 and will be published in 2025.