New habits this Earth Day could be as easy as tossing your food waste in with your yard waste

SALINAS, Calif. (KION) You might not think twice about throwing away your scraps, but food waste is the single largest type of waste in our daily trash. We throw away around 35 million tons of food every year, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency. That waste, sitting in our landfills, generates a harmful pollutant.  

"Methane is a greenhouse gas that is eighty-four times more potent than carbon dioxide, so it's really awful for our environment," said Zoë Shoats, Monterey Regional Waste Management District Director of Communications.

Now you can turn those unwanted leftovers into compost, which can be used in agriculture and landscaping projects,  by simply tossing your scraps in with your yard waste using your green curbside cart. 

"On this Earth Day, it's really fantastic that we have this new program available for folks. It's a climate mitigation strategy and it's one that is available to us at very little cost or no cost and you don't have to have an electric vehicle. You don't have to have some fancy-schmancy item. You have a green cart or can get a green cart and start collecting scraps,” added Shoats.

The program which went into effect January 1st, is part of a statewide effort known as SB 1383, which aims to reduce the disposal of organic waste in landfills, including edible foods. This month, the City of Watsonville has been rolling out green bins and notifying people on how to participate. 

"If residents already have a yard waste bin, you’re simply going to start using that as an organic (FLASH) and you’re going to be putting that green bin or your old yard waste bin once a week every week the same day as your trash pick up," mentioned Tami Stolzenthaler, Sr. Environmental Project Analyst for the City of Watsonville, in a Public Service Announcement video.

Essentially, every part of the food can go into that green bin, except for any kind of liquid, raw meat, or packaging. In Monterey County, food scrap composting is something they’ve been practicing for years. 

"We already had food scraps composting for the last decade for commercial businesses, restaurants and the like. So we've had we have a lot of practice in this already, and we have essentially rolled out the same program or very similar program now to households,”  Shoats.

It's not yet a requirement in Monterey County, but people are encouraged to give it a try. This Earth Day might just give you the excuse to do so. Tips and tricks to scrap composting can be found at mrwmd.org. There is no extra cost for residents if in a single-family home. For multi-family and commercial units the cost is rolled into your garbage rates.