Turning Waste into Compost in Napa, California

• Main Author: Solis, Liana D
• Format: Others
• Published: Scholarship @ Claremont 2016
• Subjects: Compost; Food; Waste; Diversion; Organic Waste; Napa; Environmental Sciences; Environmental Studies; Other Environmental Sciences; Sustainability
• Online Access: http://scholarship.claremont.edu/pomona_theses/147; http://scholarship.claremont.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1146&context=pomona_theses

Two significant pieces of legislation in California have mandated that cities and counties must reduce their waste streams. Assembly Bill 341 establishes that California must divert 75% of its waste from landfills by the year 2020. The first bill that included composting, Assembly Bill 1826, was passed in 2014 and requires that commercial users enact composting beginning in 2016. These initiatives have led cities and counties to seek ways of implementing composting programs. Using the City of Napa as a case study, this thesis argues that a composting program can be integrated into any existing waste hauling service. Although there are some challenges, including effectively reaching all residents eligible for the program and finding ways to encourage people to change waste disposal habits, other communities should be able to adopt Napa’s model. Napa’s program should act as an outline for other communities to develop similar outreach strategies, public education initiatives, and pilot programs. Once implemented, cities can continue creating a sustainable community through the use of new technologies. Not only will creating a composting program allow cities and counties to be in compliance with Assembly Bill 1826, it will also offer benefits that extend beyond the local scope, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions.