This session will focus on the status of organic waste management in California. Senate Bill 1383, which passed in 2016, stipulates a reduction in organic waste sent to landfills of 75% by 2025. This presentation will be useful to a broad audience of professionals interested in food waste diversion. California's ambitious goal has led to the implementation of many programs to reduce food waste or to divert it from the collected waste stream for beneficial uses such as human or animal feed. State government has played a significant role in supporting these programs through outreach and education and program grants. Significant expansion of California’s mature compost industry and development of anaerobic digestion facilities have turned organic wastes from the collected waste stream into valuable resources. State and federal government funding has played a positive role in incentivizing development of this infrastructure.

Panel participants will discuss various government incentives and take a look at current SB 1383 compliance and some of the more significant challenges. This presentation will also include a brief review of Senate Bill 54, the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act (Extended Producer Responsibility bill), which will require material to be recyclable or compostable, putting pressure on producers to provide materials that will be accepted by composters. The presentation will allow ample opportunity for participants to engage in discussion. Attendees will gain an understanding of the state of organic waste management in California and lessons valuable to other jurisdictions.

About the Speakers

 
Tim Raibley
Vice President | HDR Engineering, Inc. 

Tim Raibley is the founder of HDR’s OMG! in the early 2000s when the waste industry began to focus on climate-action driven goals and the management of organics was beginning to be seen as an emerging need. His 42 years of professional experience has spanned the gamut of the waste industry, serving a broad range of projects and array of service offerings.

 
Cindy Liles
Organics Practice Lead | HDR Engineering, Inc. 

Cindy Liles has 12 years of experience working with the waste industry. She started off her career implementing organics separation and compost workshops at her university and has since worked on over 175 waste projects. This includes work on the design, permitting, development, and environmental compliance of over a dozen organic waste processing facilities and several feasibility studies for both the public and private sectors. She has also helped secure over $30 million for solid waste, organics, and renewable energy infrastructure and research. She is also a licensed California P.E.