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NRES 439 Environment and Sustainable Development

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  • Largest Recycling Program at California

    Good news for all sustainability lovers! California will mandate the most extensive recycling program to prevent food from landfills to reduce the state's methane emissions.

    When food scraps such as banana peels and leftover veggies and other organic materials break down, they emit methane, a greenhouse gas more potent and damaging in the short term than carbon emissions from fossil fuels. Organic material such as food and yard waste makes up a fifth of the state's methane emissions and half of everything in California landfills.

    Green bins will be provided to the residents who will allow them to put all the extra wet food waste, and the municipalities will convert them into compost, which can also be used to create biogas. This will help keep the air and the environment clean and will help us to tackle climate change; this also shows that 40% of food is wasted by Americans in the USA, according to the USDA. 

    Few countries like France and states have passed a law to donate excess food and not toss it in the trash. From January 2022, California is also trying to implement a similar program to install grocery stores that can store all the excess food to give to the needy can also be donated to food banks or charities. 

    Residents are also welcome to make their own compost in their backyard; this way, money is saved from going to the municipality and then converting it to compost. Cities that refuse to follow the law will be fined up to $10,000/day.

    https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/dec/09/california-food-waste-recycling-program-us