Southern California
Conversion Technology


 

Announcements:

Small-Scale On-Site Organic Waste Processing Technologies
Small scale technologies designed for on-site management of organic waste include anaerobic digesters, in-vessel aerobic composters, dehydrators, and liquefiers. These technologies may provide suitable solutions for County facilities, businesses, and commercial establishments to comply with the organic waste recycling requirements of Assembly Bill (AB)1826 and Senate Bill (SB)1383 respectively.

Please see more information on small-scale on-site organic waste processing technologies here.

 

Facility Permitting Flowcharts
Facility permitting flowcharts provide an overview of the permitting process for gasification facilities processing biomass or municipal solid waste feedstocks, composting facilities, and anaerobic digestion facilities. To download a copy of the facility permitting flowcharts, please click here.

 

Support Assembly Bill 2612 (D-Maienschein) to Provide Funding for New Infrastructure

Assembly Bill 2612 (Maienschein, 2020) proposes to continuously appropriate $200 million from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund for organic waste recycling infrastructure and advanced solid waste recycling infrastructure annually beginning in the 2020-21 fiscal year. AB 2612 is co-sponsored by the County of Los Angeles, the California State Association of Counties (CSAC), and the Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC).

Funding for new waste management infrastructure is crucial. Senate Bill 1383 (Lara, 2016) mandates a 75 percent reduction in statewide organic waste disposal by the year 2025, requiring local jurisdictions to divert over 20 million tons of organic waste each year. The estimated cost to build sufficient organic waste recycling infrastructure is $2 to $4 billion statewide. China's National Sword Policy restricts the import of recyclable materials, severely limiting California's biggest market for recyclable exports. New commercial-scale advanced recycling facilities will be needed statewide to handle the 8 million tons of recyclables previously shipped to China each year.

AB 2612 proposes to allocate the $200 million as follows:

  • $100 million for organics management infrastructure
  • $50 million in financial assistance for in-state organic waste processing and recycling activities
  • $50 million in grants to local agencies for organic waste management and implementation of SB 1383 mandatory organic waste recycling regulations
  • $100 million for advanced recycling infrastructure
  • $90 million for recycling market development, advanced recycling infrastructure, and improvements in curbside or neighborhood recycling programs
  • $10 million for grants to cities and counties for beverage container recycling and litter cleanup activities
To read the bill text, please click here.

Send your support letter today! To download a copy of the sample support letter, please click here. Please send your support letters to The Honorable Brian Maienschein, State Capitol, Room 2170, Sacramento, CA 942849 and copy the Chair and Members of the Assembly Natural Resources Committee.

Questions or Comments? Please contact Mr. Christopher Sheppard of Los Angeles County Public Works at csheppard@pw.lacounty.gov or at (626) 458-3592.

Updates on Public Works' conversion technology efforts are provided within the annual Roadmap to a Sustainable Waste Management Future report.

 

About the Program

Each day, 135,000 tons of trash is sent to California landfills. These materials represent a resource that could be better used to benefit the businesses and residents of California.

21st century conversion technologies are changing the way we think of trash or waste. The County of Los Angeles sees trash as a potential resource, and conversion technologies are an innovative way to convert that resource into renewable energy, biofuels, and other useful products.

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