California Air Resources Board Has Barely Scratched the Surface of Recycling Measures Needed to Implement AB 32 on Global Warming

Expansion of Curbside Recycling: Residential waste accounts for 32% of California’s overall waste stream. Paper, cardboard, glass and metals are among the most prevalent materials in the residential waste stream. Despite its popularity and effectiveness, just half of California residents have access to convenient and cost effective curbside recycling, and we believe this opportunity should be provided for every household in California (single and multi-family).

Expansion of Commercial Recycling: Commercial waste accounts for 47% of California’s overall waste stream and readily-recyclable cardboard and paper are the most prevalent materials in commercial waste (making up over 26% of the materials disposed by commercial enterprises). Over the last decade, thousands of California businesses have seen their waste management costs reduced through the establishment and expansion of commercial waste recycling. However, for many medium and small businesses in California, there remains a disconnect between the waste they generate on a day-to-day basis and the portion of their business overhead costs which go to waste management. There is a very high potential for increased recycling at commercial enterprises and we believe they should be require to obtain recycling services.

Material-Specific Disposal Limits: A surprisingly small number of readily-recyclable materials (e.g. corrugated cardboard and mixed paper), account for the lion’s share of California’s GHG emission reduction potential. In addition to those materials disposed through residential and commercial collection, approximately 20% of disposed waste is hauled directly to the landfill by residents and businesses. Of this material, over half is readily-recyclable construction and demolition debris (C&D). Material-specific disposal limits would require all Californians to limit their disposal of recyclable materials such as cardboard, paper, or C&D, regardless of whether it is collected by a refuse company or self hauled to the landfill.

Waste reduction and recycling represents an opportunity to reduce existing emissions from landfills, as well as the emissions from mining and transporting virgin products. While the EAMs adopted yesterday only scratched the surface of potential greenhouse gas reductions from the waste sector, we hope that future actions by the ARB and CIWMB will recognize the global warming benefits of recycling. We simply can not afford to keep wasting the materials that are ending up in our landfills.

Nick Lapis is a Policy Associate with Californians Against Waste. He works on greenhouse gas policies, as well as waste reduction and recycling issues with the California Integrated Waste Management Board. He also does research and advocacy on legislative action and regulatory policy.