About a year ago I wrote this post about mandatory organic waste recycling, at the end of which I asked the question, "Does any of this produce environmentally meaningful results, or is this just a way to generate more money for governments and certain businesses? I'd really like to know."
I think I now have an answer:
California’s ambitious and expensive plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from landfills may itself be headed for the trash heap.
A state oversight panel is recommending that California pause implementation of Senate Bill 1383, which requires cities and counties to offer organic waste recycling , because it is riddled with problems and falling short of its goals, according to a draft report provided to KTLA.
The law set benchmarks for reducing the amount of organic waste sent to landfills by 50% by 2020 and 75% by 2025, using 2014 as a baseline.
Instead, only about half of local governments are participating in the program and the amount of organic waste in landfills has actually increased in recent years, the Little Hoover Commission said in the draft...
Among the many hurdles to SB 1383’s success are cost and infrastructure, the report says.
For example, a $100 million anaerobic digester in Perris, California, took six years to permit and construct. The demands placed on rural communities, which produce very little organic waste compared to heavily populated areas, were not considered, commissioners said.
Kabuki theater.
1 comment:
Organic waste seems like it shouldn't be that difficult. If a city told people they get one bag of garbage per week, we'd figure out the organic waste on our own. I have a big lot with lots of trees, so I blow the leaves into the woods. Smaller lots could get a mulch barrel and rich folks could have their landscapers take it away. It's not perfect, but shouldn't be that big of a problem.
Municipal governments like to take on more responsibility, so they can justify a bigger government and larger staff. The state and federal governments step into regulate it. Just leave us alone, and it all works out.
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