Bill > AB2670

This bill aims to increase the diversion of organic waste from landfills and promote recycling by amending existing laws and adding new provisions. It clarifies that the use of "green material" (organic waste like yard trimmings and food scraps) as alternative daily cover at landfills will be considered disposal, not recycling, starting January 1, 2020, unless the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (Cal Recycle) delays this due to insufficient processing infrastructure. The bill also mandates Cal Recycle to analyze and potentially regulate the use of residual fines from material recovery facilities (MRFs) and compost processing as alternative daily cover, with specific requirements to ensure public health and safety and protect the composting and recycling industries. Furthermore, it expands the definition of "commercial solid waste" to include all types of waste from businesses and multifamily dwellings, and introduces a new category of "large-quantity commercial organics generator" who will be required to arrange for separate organics collection and recycling services by January 1, 2017. Finally, the bill requires solid waste facilities accepting public or self-hauled waste to establish separate collection areas for segregated green material and nonhazardous woody material, which can then be used for beneficial reuse like alternative daily cover instead of being disposed of.