Pacific Southwest, Region 9
Serving: Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Pacific Islands, Tribal Nations
Organics: Composting
Regional Initiatives
Region 9 Organic Material Management Goals
- Develop innovative solutions to avoid generating waste
- Incorporate environmental education when promoting organics recovery
- Promote sustainable resource recovery
- Develop strategies that promote a more integrated and strategic approach
to resource management
- Optimum use of organic matter and organic residuals
Region 9 Organic Material Management Strategies
- Encourage and recognize community and industry initiatives to reduce
waste through organics recovery
- Support the creation of industries dealing in recovery of unwanted
materials
- Provide technical assistance for farmers/composters/waste operators
- Support the development of uniform compost quality standards to increase
production, marketability and proper use
- Support development of Local Organic Recovery Programs
Recent Region 9 Grant Projects
City of Santa Monica - Increasing Recycling Rate by Labeling PLA Plastic and Digesting Food Waste
The City of Santa Monica is a local authority with a strong zero waste goal and greater than 60% diversion. They are in a position to expand their food waste and biodegradable collection programs because of a recent ban on non-recyclable plastic food service containers. An increasing problem nationwide is the inability to differentiate between compostable plastic (PLA) and recyclable plastic. This grant works with PLA manufacturers to create a marking – such as a green line – for PLA containers so that they are properly sorted and composted. Secondly, the project aims to boost their anaerobic digestion of food waste by creating a cleaner food waste feedstock. This grant will yield measurable #s, namely tons of organic waste sent to anaerobic digestion.
Contact: Amanda Hong (Hong.Amanda@epa.gov)
(415) 947-4103
East Bay Municipal Utility District, Oakland, CA, FY07 $50,000
Anaerobic Digestion of Food Waste
This project aimed to provide guidelines for the anaerobic digestion of food waste and to demonstrate its benefits. This is in an effort to encourage diversion of food waste from landfills and composting. The project was implemented through a bench-scale anaerobic digestion pilot study that determined optimum food waste design/operating criteria and methane production rates. The bench study developed criteria that can be used to foster a new market where food waste will be a resource for renewable energy production. Full report.
Contact: Amanda Hong (Hong.Amanda@epa.gov)
(415) 947-4103
New Found Land Institute 
, Wisconsin, FY07, $57,000
Model Expanded Organics Programs and Demonstrations
The focus of this project is on expanding local recycling programs to include food waste and other organic materials composting. This will be accomplished by developing a guide to best policies and programs, encouraging expansion of current recycling programs into expanded compost and to demonstrate the best practices in a new community composting program that is on the verge of expanding. The end result will include a pilot demonstration with a local government agency, the above mentioned guide, a coordinated educational campaign for prospective communities, recommendations for further research to best realize the potential for expanded composting and a best practices demonstration in Region 9. In addition to this summary document (PDF) (2 pp, 296K, About PDF), you can view the full report and more information on organic waste collection at Beyond Recycling .
Contact: Amanda Hong (Hong.Amanda@epa.gov)
(415) 947-4103
Sustainable Conservation
This San Francisco-based non-profit, is working in California on a partnership
with EPA Region 9, the dairy industry, and Merced County to demonstrate
an innovative model of manure and green waste management that benefits
both the agricultural and municipal sectors. The project will use the
existing municipal composting infrastructure to establish a dairy manure/green
waste co-composting operation.
The Center for Environmental Economic
Development (CEED)
CEED is developing a Rural Organics Recycling Board (ORB). The focus of
the ORB project is to increase the marketing of locally composted commercial
organics in rural Northern California counties. Tools will be developed
for community outreach and on ways to implement rural organics recycling
in California.
City of Sacramento
The city offers grant funding to explore the economic feasibility of co-composting
yard trimmings and agricultural manure. The project has two objectives:
to expand markets for municipal yard trimmings and to explore new management
options for manure from dairy and other animal operations. A manure management
system that co-composts yard trimmings and animal manure will lessen the
impacts on ground and surface waters and divert organic waste from landfilling.
California
Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB)
CIWMB actively funds programs and projects--in partnership with local
governments, compost producers, users of compost and mulch, and others--that
promote waste prevention and recycling of organic materials. CIWMB, with
grant funds, developed and distributed fact sheets and videos to the agricultural
community to promote five CIWMB sponsored compost demonstration projects.
Animal Waste Management in EPA Region 9
Learn about manure management (including land application of manure), animal wastes and Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) in Region 9.
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