Malibu Will Shift To Organic Waste Recycling In 2022

MALIBU, CA — The new year will bring with it new recycling regulations for Malibu businesses and residences.

Beginning on Jan. 1, residents will be asked to separate out food products from their trash and recycling and put them into the green organics bin without a trash bag. This means you'll be dumping your scraps form produce, meat, dairy items, egg shells, coffee grounds and tea bags, bakery and dry goods and yard waste into the green bin.

Businesses and multi-family dwellings set up their organic recycling in October, and larger restaurants and events will be fully transitioned by January 2024, according to the city's website.

Wasted food accounts for eight percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to The Washington Post. In the United States, wasted food has a bigger carbon footprint than the airline industry. Over a third of all produced food doesn't actually get consumed, and instead ends up rotting in landfills, according to The Washington Post.

When food products are trapped in landfills they emit a climate pollutant called methane, which is 25 times more powerful than carbon dioxide, according to the City of Malibu.

The organic waste program in Malibu is a result of a new state law, SB 1383, which passed earlier this year to reduce methane emission from landfills.