What’s the story with our yard waste and food scraps?
Per California’s new state law, SB 1383, Santa Barbara County businesses and residents are required to recycle green waste and food waste beginning in January 2022. Fortunately, the County’s long-standing organics recycling programs and new ReSource Center will ensure that our community achieves compliance with the new requirements.
Commercial and residential waste that is thrown into a trash cart or bin in Buellton, Goleta, Santa Barbara, Solvang, and the unincorporated areas of the Cuyama Valley, Santa Ynez Valley, and South Coast is processed at the County’s newly opened ReSource Center. Recyclable materials are recovered and sold and organics (including food waste) are separated from trash and transformed into compost and energy that powers up to 3,000 homes per year. With this new facility, approximately 60% of additional waste from our trash cans is diverted from the landfill, bringing our region’s diversion rate to above 85% while significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This means that residents who live or work in these areas are following the new state law by continuing to throw their waste into the same bins as you are today.