Pasadena is preparing to intensify enforcement of its residential organic waste recycling program in response to impending state audits, a City official said Monday. The move comes as City officials reported significant success in diverting food waste and yard trimmings from landfills, with 91,504 tons of yard waste composted since 2020. 鈥淏eginning January 1, 2024 State required mandatory local enforcement,鈥� said Thanos Gauthier,聽Public Works Administrator for Pasadena鈥檚 Resource Recovery and聽Recycling聽program.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been tagging cans for the last 20 years, so we鈥檙e already used to this, but it鈥檚 now going to getting to the point that we鈥檙e going to have a couple of fellows that we have from the governor鈥檚 office come out and work with us in the next few months because CalRecycle (California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery)聽聽in the next 16 months is going to come out and tip every lid of every can in the聽City聽themselves.鈥�
The enforcement plan includes reviewing every trash can in the City at least once a year to ensure proper sorting. This initiative aligns with Senate Bill 1383, which aims to reduce methane emissions by mandating local jurisdictions to implement organic recycling programs and conduct outreach, education, inspection,聽and聽enforcement.