Los Angeles Policy Resources

Finished compost is one of the best soil amendments there is; its teeming with beneficial microorganisms and nutrients that nurture plant growth. We can use it to grow trees and decorative species, or we can use it to grow food in one of the many urban farms sprinkled throughout LA. Compost reduces the need for chemical fertilizers and can even treat contaminated soil to bring life back to these dead zones. And, since healthy soil holds onto water like a sponge, it makes our greenery more drought resistant, a big win for us and the plants.

Food just doesn’t belong in the trash. When organic matter is sent to a landfill, it decomposes in an oxygen-less environment, which produces methane, a greenhouse gas twenty-times as warming as carbon dioxide. Composting is nature’s way of returning our food’s nutrients back to the Earth, and we don’t want to get in the way of that.

Soil that’s been treated with compost supplies a wider array of nutrients for plants to uptake, making them stronger and more resilient to pests, disease and other environmental stressors. These plants have also been shown to have more nutrient density to pass on to the people that consume them, giving us more nutritional bang for our buck.

Community composting gives people a strong connection to their local food system, and an opportunity to learn about soil health and environmental justice. The entire composting process takes place within the community where the original resources were created, completing a closed-loop system that creates local green jobs and engages local residents.

As if we needed another reason to love compost - it can actually be used to keep our water clean! This can be done in a variety of ways, one being: composting the source material instead! Much of what is polluting to waterways can actually be composted, like manure and grass clippings. Plus, when composted, the nitrogen in these materials releases much more slowly, which avoids overloading the ecosystem and poisoning wildlife. 

Or, compost can be applied to land to reduce runoff. Compost increases water retention, and lessens the amount of water needed on farmland, which can prevent chemical fertilizers from leeching into groundwater and nearby streams. Soil (and more specifically, carbon) is nature’s water purifier, and water pollution is worst in areas where soil is too degraded to soak it up, or where pavement has been laid over the soil. 

Thankfully, this bioremediation through compost is becoming more common throughout California as an effective means of breaking down contaminants and purifying soil that’s been contaminated with chemicals or heavy metals. 

If you live in California, you already know the hazards and negative environmental impacts of wildfires. Lessened rainfall, higher temperatures, and seasonal winds all exacerbate and lengthen our fire season. But did you know that compost can be applied to protect the burned lands?

Fires strip away the soil’s protective layer of vegetation, which makes it particularly vulnerable to erosion. So when heavy rains follow a fire, we often see disastrous mudslides. But with compost adding nutrients and life back into the soil, the microorganisms help the soil keep its structure, and retain water to create the perfect environment for new growth to sprout.

The faster that vegetative layer re-grows, the more soil we retain, the cleaner our waterways, and the less time and money spent digging out infrastructure. That’s another win for compost.

The California Integrated Waste Management Act of 1989 (Or AB 939) required every county to develop a waste management plan to reduce solid waste.

As a result of this law, the city of Los Angeles awarded 10-year contracts to seven haulers to manage collection in 11 zones. They were given exclusive rights to the “waste” in their awarded areas, resulting in limited pathways for small-scale resource recovery initiatives.

Common Rot was a resource recovery business that had to discontinue services when their partner farm was told to stop accepting their compost by the city of Long Beach. They were denied an approved haulers permit, despite the city lacking other locally based composting services.

Opportunities were not afforded to Common Rot to work in conjunction with large-scale haulers to recycle organic materials.

Senate Bill 1383 is the most significant waste reduction policy enacted in the last 30 years. Signed into law in 2016 to tackle “short-lived climate pollutants,” its primary goal is to reduce the amount of organic material sent to land­fills. 

If we don’t make our voices heard, this composting bill could force out community composters. In the past, laws mandating composting have led to exclusive contracts with large-scale waste haulers. These contracts forbid community composters from picking up food scraps in zones with a designated hauler.

Actually, we think large waste haulers can absolutely be part of the solution and are necessary to achieve the goals set out by SB 1383. They just shouldn’t be the only option. We don’t always know what happens to the organics collected by large waste haulers. What we do know is that there are so many benefits to keeping compost local where it can enrich our soil and grow healthy food. (Read more about the benefits at the top of this page!).

We need SB 1383 implementation that carves out space for community composting so citizens have the ability to choose whichever means of diversion best aligns with their life. Scroll down to find out what you can do to help.